title: Does cannabis use moderate smoking cessation outcomes in treatment-seeking tobacco smokers? Analysis from a large multi-center trial.
abstract: Tobacco and cannabis are frequently used in combination and cannabis co-use may lead to poor tobacco cessation outcomes. Therefore, it is important to explore if cannabis co-use is associated with a reduced likelihood of achieving successful tobacco abstinence among treatment-seeking tobacco smokers. The present study examined whether current cannabis use moderated tobacco cessation outcomes after 12 weeks of pharmacological treatment (varenicline vs. nicotine patch vs. placebo) with adjunctive behavioral counseling.
  
  
  
  Treatment-seeking tobacco smokers (N = 1,246) were enrolled in an intent-to-treat study, of which 220 were current cannabis users. Individuals were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of placebo (placebo pill plus placebo patch), nicotine patch (active patch plus placebo pill), or varenicline (active pill plus placebo patch), plus behavioral counseling. The primary endpoint was biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence at the end of treatment.
  
  
  
  Controlling for rate of nicotine metabolism, treatment arm, age, sex, alcohol, and level of nicotine dependence, cannabis users were as successful at achieving biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence compared to tobacco-only smokers.
  
  
  
  Findings suggest that cannabis use does not hinder the ability to quit tobacco smoking. Future tobacco cessation studies should employ prospective, longitudinal designs investigating cannabis co-use over time and at different severity levels. (Am J Addict 2016;25:291-296).
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Division of Schizophrenia, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rabin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ashare
authors.affiliation: Abramson Cancer Center and Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schnoll
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cinciripini
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, New York.
authors.forename: Larry W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Hawk
authors.affiliation: Abramson Cancer Center and Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Caryn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Division of Brain and Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Rachel F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tyndale
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Division of Schizophrenia, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Division of Brain and Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Tony P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000068580:Varenicline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000068580:Varenicline