N-Acetylcysteine for Smoking Cessation in Tobacco and Cannabis Co-Use

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 disorder (CUD) in dual users of tobacco and cannabis. Sixty adult regular cigarette smokers who 1) have smoked 5 cigarettes per day in 15 of the past 30 days, or an average of 2.5 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, CUD severity levels, 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 CUD. 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 co-occurring TUD and CUD 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.