Tobacco and cannabis co-use is a common and growing public health problem, especially in states that have legalized cannabis. There are no pharmacologic treatments for co-occurring tobacco and cannabis use. Co-use may make quitting either substance more difficult, given the synergistic effects of cannabis and nicotine on neurobiological systems that mediate reward and shared cues reinforcing co-use. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an FDA-approved medication and over-the-counter supplement, has shown promise in animal studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in reducing tobacco and cannabis craving and use.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an FDA-approved medication and over-the-counter supplement, has shown promise in animal studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in reducing tobacco and cannabis craving and use. NAC's efficacy in treating addiction may be attributable to its central nervous system effects in reducing excessive glutamatergic activity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. NAC has been shown to improve cognition and reduce impulsivity, which in turn may strengthen inhibitory control when presented with contextual cues. To date, no RCT has examined NAC for smoking cessation in the setting of tobacco-cannabis co-use. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT, the investigators will examine a novel pharmacological treatment, NAC, for concurrent tobacco use disorder (TUD) and cannabis use in dual users of tobacco and cannabis. Sixty adult regular cigarette smokers who 1) have smoked 2 cigarettes per day in 15 of the past 30 days, or an average of 1 cigarettes per day for the past 30 days and 2) use cannabis regularly and 3) consent to receive interventions to stop smoking cigarettes and using cannabis will be randomized to receive NAC 3600 mg per day or placebo over 8 weeks. Participants in both groups will receive 8 weekly cognitive behavioral therapy sessions addressing both tobacco and cannabis use. Outcomes will be assessed at Weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. Primary aims are to determine NAC's efficacy in decreasing cigarette use, nicotine dependence levels, and craving; and cannabis use, and craving. Exploratory aims include examination of changes in neurocognition with NAC and their potential mediational effects on cigarette and cannabis use outcomes. NAC SUB-STUDY: Because of the significant clinical and economic burden imposed by tobacco and cannabis use, it is important to understand the mechanism underlying the progression of tobacco (TUD) and cannabis use disorders (CUD) and any potential treatments. TUD and CUD are associated with elevated oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. It has been suggested that patients dependent on these substances have dysregulated markers of oxidation and inflammation, including gluthathione, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-Reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6). In this sub-study, baseline levels of commonly utilized serum markers of oxidation status and inflammation will be measured in 20 adults recruited under the main study, with the option of being a part of the sub-study who also demonstrate concurrent TUD and cannabis use. The correlation will be determined between changes in serum markers of oxidative stress and magnitude of use of cigarettes and cannabis. If successful, the investigator will establish regulatory patterns of oxidative stress and inflammation in TUD and with concurrent cannabis use for the first time and will implicate oxidative stress and inflammation as playing key roles in the progression and severity of co-occurring TUD and CUD.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
41
The investigators will examine N-acetyl cysteine to treat concurrent tobacco use disorder and cannabis use in a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT. Eligible regular cigarette smokers with current tobacco use disorder and cannabis use will be randomized to receive NAC 3600 mg per day over 8 weeks.
The investigators will examine N-acetyl cysteine to treat concurrent tobacco use disorder and cannabis use in a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT. Eligible regular cigarette smokers with current tobacco use disorder and cannabis use will be randomized to receive placebo per day over 8 weeks.
Participants in both groups will receive 8 weekly cognitive behavioral therapy sessions for substance use disorder targeting both tobacco and cannabis use.
San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
San Francisco, California, United States
Change in the Mean Days of Cannabis Use Over Time
Days of cannabis use will be determined by weekly self-report use of cannabis assessed with Timeline Follow-back (TLFB) which uses a calendar with specific anchor dates to identify the number of 'use days'. The change in the mean number of days reported at baseline and at the week 12 visit will be reported by group.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in the Mean Number of Cigarettes Used Over Time
Weekly self-report use of cigarettes will be assessed with Timeline Follow-back (TLFB) which uses a calendar with specific anchor dates to identify the quantity of use. The change in the mean number of cigarettes used reported at baseline and at the week 12 visit will be reported by group.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in the Mean Number of Days of Cigarette Use Over Time
Weekly self-report use of cigarettes will be assessed with Timeline Follow-back (TLFB) which uses a calendar with specific anchor dates to identify the frequency of use. The change in the mean number of days reported at baseline and at the week 12 visit will be reported by group.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Percentage of Participants With Biochemically Verified, Point-prevalent Abstinence at Week 8
Biochemically verified abstinence is defined as a participant self-report of not smoking and a saliva sample to detect the presence or absence of salivary cotinine. Salivary cotinine tests are an established method to biochemically verify a participant's reported smoking status.
Time frame: At Week 8
Percentage of Participants With Biochemically Verified Point Prevalent Abstinence at Week 12
Biochemically verified abstinence is defined as a participant self-report of not smoking and a saliva sample to detect the presence or absence of salivary cotinine. Salivary cotinine tests are an established method to biochemically verify a participant's reported smoking status.
Time frame: At Week 12
Change in Scores on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) Over Time
The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence is a standard instrument for assessing the intensity of physical addiction to nicotine. It contains six items that evaluate the quantity of cigarette consumption, the compulsion to use, and dependence. In scoring the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, yes/no items are scored from 0 to 1 and multiple-choice items are scored from 0 to 3. The items are summed to yield a total score of 0-10. The higher the total Fagerström score, the more intense is the patient's physical dependence on nicotine. The change in the average score by group will be reported.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Scores on the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief): Total Over Time
The QSU-Brief consists of 10 statements about the respondent's feelings and thoughts about his or her desire to smoke cigarettes as he or she is completing the questionnaire (i.e., right now). Each response is scored a number ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The items are summed to yield a total score of 10-70. Higher total scores indicate stronger current smoking urges. The change in the average total score between baseline and week 12 will be reported by group.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Scores on the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test - Revised (CUDIT-R) Over Time
This questionnaire was designed for self-administration and is scored by adding each of the 8 items relating to cannabis use over the past six months. Question 1-7 are scored on a 0-4 scale Question 8 is scored 0,2, or 4. Total score is calculated by summing the items for a total score of 0-32. Total scores of 8 or more indicate hazardous cannabis use, while total scores of 12 or more indicate a possible cannabis use disorder for which further intervention may be required. The change in the average total score between baseline and week 12 will be reported by group.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Total Scores on the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire Short Form (MCQ-SF) Total Over Time
This 12-item multidimensional measure assesses cannabis craving based on 4 factors: Compulsivity, Emotionality, Expectancy, Purposefulness. Each item asks about the respondent's feelings and thoughts about smoking marijuana as he or she is completing the questionnaire (i.e., right now). Each response is scored a number ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Each of the 4 factors (subscales) consist of 3 items which are scored by taking the total of the responses in that scale for a total possible subscale score of 3-21. The total score is calculated by summing the total scores for the 4 subscales for a total score range of 12-84 The change in the average total score from baseline to week 12 will be reported by group.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
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