The association between cannabis and codeine use: a nationally representative cross-sectional study in Canada

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Growing use of cannabis for pain relief necessitates understanding its impact on concurrent analgesic use.
• Evidence is needed to clarify the relationship between cannabis consumption and the use of other pain medications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between self-reported cannabis use and codeine-containing product use.
• To investigate if medical cannabis use influences concurrent codeine consumption.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing data from the 2017 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey.
• Multivariable binomial logistic regression models were employed to analyze the association.
• Self-reported past-year use of cannabis and codeine served as primary variables.

Main Results:

• Cannabis use was significantly associated with codeine use (aOR 1.89).
• Individuals using cannabis for medical purposes were three times more likely to report codeine use (aOR 2.96).
• The study included 15,459 respondents, with 3338 reporting past-year cannabis use.

Conclusions:

• Cannabis use is associated with increased odds of codeine use, especially among medical users.
• Healthcare providers should be aware of concurrent cannabis and codeine use.
• Further research is needed on the long-term adverse events of combined cannabis and opioid use.