What would it take to get people to stop rolling joints with tobacco?

Disclosure of interest ARW is the founder of GDS

Background: Approximately 70% of people who smoke cannabis do in joints mixed with tobacco, adding to health harms, the risk of dependence and worsening withdrawal and quit attempts. From a public health perspective concurrent use of tobacco represents one of the biggest health risks faced by individuals who smoke cannabis and yet is largely ignored by public health groups

Methods: Data collected from the Global Drug Survey, an anonymous, online survey, recruiting a very large non-probability sample of people who use cannabis

Results: Using data from over 300,000 people collected from the Global Drug Survey, we review global trends in routes of use of cannabis over the last 7 years. Using data from GDS2022, we will explore the motivations for combined use from a sample of 10,000 recent consumers. We will report on the role of economy, function, and ritual, before exploring the acceptability of alternative routes of use based on prior experience of these.

Conclusion: We will report on the most likely public health approaches that could be adopted to encourage and support those who roll joints with tobacco to give up tobacco and switch to non-tobacco / non-smoking routes of use.