Consumption patterns and withdrawal symptoms in dual cannabis-tobacco users in Spain: Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Cannabis use has increased worldwide, with over 188 million users annually. In Spain, past-year prevalence among people aged 15-64 is 10.6%. Dual use of cannabis and tobacco is common, increasing health risks and complicating cessation. This study examines consumption patterns and cannabis withdrawal severity among dual users undergoing treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in substance use treatment programs in Catalonia, Spain. Participants were cannabis users initiating CUD treatment. A questionnaire collected sociodemographic data, cannabis and tobacco use characteristics (e.g., number of spliffs, tobacco amount), nicotine dependence, motivation to quit, and cannabis withdrawal symptoms. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Gower's distance identified behavioral patterns among participants. Results: Data from 94 participants seeking CUD treatment were included. Daily tobacco use was reported by 91.5%, with a mean Fagerstrom score of 4.2/10. Most participants (88.1%) co-used cannabis with tobacco, and 75.8% experienced cannabis withdrawal symptoms, with women reporting greater severity. Cluster analysis revealed two profiles: Cluster 1 (71.0%) included mostly older males with higher motivation to quit and fewer withdrawal symptoms; Cluster 2 (29.0%) was younger, more sex-balanced, and showed higher nicotine dependence, and more severe withdrawal symptoms. Conclusions: Co-use of cannabis and tobacco is highly prevalent among individuals entering CUD treatment. Higher nicotine dependence is associated with more severe withdrawal symptoms. Older males with higher motivation and fewer withdrawal symptoms may have better prognosis, highlighting motivation as cessation predictor. Findings underscore the need to enhance motivation to quit both substances and integrated treatment. Trial registration number. The DuCATA project has been registered at Clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier [NCT05512091].