Treating co-occurring cannabis and tobacco use disorders might reduce the health burdens associated with both substances. However, few studies have evaluated pharmacological interventions, in combination with behavioral treatment, to address co-occurring cannabis and tobacco use; these are limited by high participant attrition, poor adherence to interventions, and lack of control. Participants were recruited from an urban, outpatient substance abuse treatment program that offers both intensive behavioral counseling and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. The investigators selected these clinical sites because the investigators have successfully recruited and retained participants from these sites in prior clinical trials, and anticipated that they would find a high prevalence of persons with frequent cannabis use.
Pilot, eight week, open-label, within-subject cross over trial of four weeks of standard clinical care (SCC) in an outpatient substance abuse treatment program and four weeks of SCC and varenicline among current and former tobacco smokers with frequent cannabis use.