Perceptions and experiences of clinicians treating tobacco use among cannabis users in substance use treatment programs: A qualitative study

Abstract

Abstract Background The global demand for treatment of cannabis use disorder has significantly increased, prompting a need to understand effective strategies for addressing concurrent cannabis and tobacco use. This study focuses on clinicians' experiences and perceptions in delivering smoking cessation services to cannabis users. Methods Three focus groups consisting of substance use professionals in Catalonia, Spain, were analyzed using Atlas-ti software, revealing five main themes and 17 subthemes: (i) User characteristics; (ii) Professional characteristics; (iii) Models of intervention; (iv) Organizational healthcare models; and (v) Health policies. Clinicians stressed the importance of intervention models and the active role of professionals in addressing tobacco use within routine care. Results Clinicians believed that tobacco cessation could mitigate social isolation and chronic issues among cannabis users, especially those engaged in polydrug use. Recommendations included integrating smoking cessation into all services, reducing healthcare service fragmentation, improving resource accessibility, enhancing clinical documentation, and advocating for stronger population-level tobacco control policies. Conclusions Clinicians suggested adopting a personalized therapeutic approach, implementing a more comprehensive model with increased resources, and reinforcing population-level tobacco control policies to enhance intervention effectiveness.