Cannabis Use Is Associated With Increased Risk of Cigarette Smoking Initiation, Persistence, and Relapse Among Adults in the United States

Abstract

As cannabis use increases in the United States and other countries, an evaluation of the relationships of cannabis use to other health-related behaviors (eg, cigarette smoking) is needed to understand the population-level impact of legalization. Little is known about associations between cannabis use and cigarette smoking transitions (1) using recent longitudinal data, (2) among adults, and (3) examining transitions other than smoking initiation (eg, smoking relapse). Our results suggest that among US adults, cannabis use was associated with increased cigarette smoking initiation among never-smokers, decreased cigarette smoking cessation among current smokers, and increased cigarette smoking relapse among former smokers.