Tobacco vs cannabis: two dependencies, one kind of smoke
Tobacco and cannabis are two different plants: tobacco contains nicotine and no THC, cannabis contains THC and no nicotine. Nicotine leads to dependence far more often, in 67.5% of smokers against 8.9% of cannabis users in a large US survey. Their smoke, however, carries similar families of toxicants, and in France both usually end up in the same joint.
Key takeaways
- Tobacco supplies nicotine and cannabis supplies THC; neither plant holds the other's molecule.
- The NESARC survey puts the chance of dependence after first use at 67.5% for nicotine and 8.9% for cannabis.
- A 2008 analysis found up to 20 times more ammonia in cannabis smoke than in tobacco smoke.
- Santé publique France attributes more than 68,000 premature deaths in France in 2023 to tobacco.
- Of the French cannabis users in the Global Drug Survey 2014, 87.5% smoked it with tobacco.
Two plants, two molecules
Tobacco is made from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum, and its active molecule is nicotine, an alkaloid with the formula C₁₀H₁₄N₂. Cannabis comes from the flowers of Cannabis sativa. Its psychoactive molecule, Δ⁹-THC, has the formula C₂₁H₃₀O₂ and no chemical link with nicotine. Tobacco therefore holds no THC and cannabis no nicotine, and a joint that contains both is a mixture.
Each molecule acts on its own targets. Nicotine binds to the acetylcholine receptors called nicotinic receptors. THC mostly activates the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in memory and mood, among other functions. CBD, hemp's other major cannabinoid, shares THC's molecular formula with a different structure, and it does not intoxicate.
| Tobacco | Cannabis | CBD hemp | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Nicotiana tabacum | Cannabis sativa | Cannabis sativa L., authorised varieties |
| Main molecule | Nicotine | Δ⁹-THC | CBD |
| Psychoactive effect | Mild stimulant, no intoxication | Yes | No |
| Status in France | Sale to minors banned | Narcotic | Authorised if Δ⁹-THC ≤ 0.30% |
Our article on the legal THC level explains the 0.30% threshold, and THC and CBD: the differences sets out how the two cannabinoids differ.
Dependence: nicotine hooks people more often
The best comparison available comes from NESARC, a US survey of adults run in two waves. From its data, a study published in 2011 calculated the lifetime probability of becoming dependent after first use. The sample covered 15,918 people who had smoked tobacco and 7,389 who had used cannabis.
Read the two figures together. Two thirds of tobacco smokers become dependent at some point in their lives, compared with fewer than one cannabis user in ten. When cannabis dependence does occur, it sets in faster: half the cases appear about 5 years after first use, against 27 years for nicotine. These figures describe the US population of the early 2000s, and today's products, richer in THC, may change the picture.
Medical classifications recognise cannabis dependence. According to the OFDT summary, about 54,000 people in France were followed in specialised addiction centres for their cannabis use in 2022. The other risks are covered in our article on cannabis and mental health.
The smoke: similar toxicants, in different amounts
Whatever the plant, a burning leaf or flower gives off carbon monoxide, tar and particles. In 2008, researchers had a machine smoke tobacco and cannabis cigarettes prepared the same way. Their results, published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, describe two smokes that are alike in kind and differ in quantity. Inhaled cannabis smoke contained up to 20 times more ammonia, and 3 to 5 times more hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides and certain aromatic amines. Some carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were less concentrated than in tobacco smoke.
Lung imaging agrees. A study published in 2023 in Radiology examined the chest scans of 56 cannabis smokers, 57 non-smokers and 33 people who smoked only tobacco. Emphysema, in which the air sacs are destroyed, was found in 75% of cannabis smokers, 67% of tobacco-only smokers and 5% of non-smokers. Cannabis smokers also showed signs of airway inflammation more often. The authors note a limit: the cannabis group included cigarette smokers too, so the effect cannot be attributed to one plant alone.
No smoke is harmless to the lungs, and for the smoke itself the idea that cannabis does less damage than tobacco does not hold. The biggest difference lies in the quantity smoked, since a daily tobacco smoker often burns far more material than an occasional cannabis user.
Tobacco's overall toll is well documented. Santé publique France ranks it as the leading cause of avoidable death in France, with more than 68,000 premature deaths in 2023, or 11% of all deaths.
In France, the two are smoked together
In France, a joint almost always contains both plants. The OFDT says herbal cannabis and resin are "generally" smoked as a joint, with tobacco. The Global Drug Survey 2014 was run at the end of 2013 and analysed in 2016 in Frontiers in Psychiatry. In it, 87.5% of French respondents used cannabis with tobacco, against 4.4 to 16.0% in the Americas.
A 2021 national survey of 18,288 adults aged 18 to 64 gives orders of magnitude. Daily tobacco without cannabis concerned 22.3% of them, cannabis without tobacco 1.4%, and daily cigarettes combined with cannabis at least once a month 4.5%. People in that last group used cannabis more often than those who used it alone.
The mixture adds the two risks together: nicotine and its strong dependence, plus the combustion of two plants. A person who sees themselves as a "cannabis smoker" can end up dependent on the tobacco in their joints. Our article on smoking without tobacco compares three alternatives and what each one removes.
Where does CBD fit in?
CBD hemp is cannabis low in THC, with no more than 0.30% Δ⁹-THC in the finished product. It does not get you high and contains no nicotine. A smoked CBD flower still burns like any plant matter and gives off the same combustion products. Rolled with tobacco, it adds nicotine and its dependence.
CBD is not a smoking-cessation treatment. A 2013 pilot study of 24 smokers tested the idea, and the data remain preliminary, as our article on CBD and quitting tobacco explains. Epidyolex, the only authorised cannabidiol medicine, is reserved for rare forms of epilepsy.
Reducing the risks, or quitting
If you smoke either one, the studies cited here point to three options:
- Taking the tobacco out of the joint removes the nicotine; the combustion stays.
- Heating without burning: a vaporiser avoids combustion, though it still delivers nicotine if you load tobacco into it. Our guide to vaporisation gives the temperatures.
- Getting help to stop tobacco: Tabac Info Service offers free support from tobacco specialists, on 39 89 or online.
Smoked or not, cannabis rich in THC is still a narcotic. For a comparison with alcohol, the other most widely used legal substance, see our article alcohol and cannabis.
Frequently asked questions
No. Nicotine comes from tobacco and THC from cannabis, and the two molecules are chemically unrelated. A cigarette holds no THC, and a joint holds it only if cannabis went into it.
The evidence does not support that claim for the smoke itself. The two smokes contain similar toxicants, and in the 2008 analysis cannabis smoke held more ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. Tobacco takes the heavier toll overall because people smoke it more often and in larger amounts.
Nicotine. In the NESARC survey, 67.5% of tobacco smokers became dependent in their lifetime, compared with 8.9% of cannabis users. When cannabis dependence occurred, it set in faster.
The habit is European. Among French users in the Global Drug Survey 2014, 87.5% smoked their cannabis with tobacco; in the Americas the figure was below 16%.
No. It holds no nicotine and too little THC to get you high, yet its smoke carries the combustion products of any burning plant. Mixed with tobacco, it exposes you to nicotine as well.
Written by the Phytogrammes team
Each journal article draws on cited primary sources: ANSM, EFSA, EUR-Lex and peer-reviewed publications. Product profiles are distinguished from documented laboratory results. Our approach.
Article published on . CBD is not a medicine.