Can a common supplement help you quit both tobacco and weed?
NCT ID NCT04627922
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter supplement, can help people who use both tobacco and cannabis quit both substances. Fifty-nine regular smokers who also used cannabis took either NAC or a placebo for 8 weeks. Researchers tracked how often they used each substance and checked for abstinence using saliva tests.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a treatment for people who want to quit both tobacco and cannabis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 59 participants. The supplement may not work better than a placebo, and results may not apply to everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
41 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Aug 2021
- Finished
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Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Participants will be male and female smokers ages 18 and over who: 1) have smoked 2 cigarettes per day in 15 of the past 30 days, or an average of 1 cigarettes per day for the past 30 days; 2) endorse the use of cannabis within the past 30 days, reported by Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), and have positive urine tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at Week 0 or up to 30 days prior; 3) meet criteria for tobacco use disorder (TUD) in the past 12 months per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), assessed by medical record review and clinical assessment; and 4) consent to receive interventions to stop smoking cigarettes and reducing cannabis use. Although co-users can use tobacco and cannabis simultaneously (i.e. in "spliffs") and other forms of nicotine and tobacco, participants must smoke combustible cigarettes that are not mixed with cannabis on a daily basis to participate. Individuals of childbearing potential (ages 18-55) must have a negative urine pregnancy test at the time of screening. Individuals who have been prescribed bupropion for depression, not smoking cessation, are eligible to participate in this study. All participants must be California residents (Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare in another state are eligible). Exclusion Criteria: 1\) Psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, neurocognitive disorder, or other psychiatric or medical conditions judged by the PI to be unstable in the past 30 days, based on screening results and/or medical record review. 2) Concurrent participation in another pharmacological tobacco cessation study. 3) Individuals who are pregnant or lactating. 4) Non-study NAC use at enrollment or at any time during the study period. 5) Use of medications for TUD (NRT, bupropion, or varenicline) at enrollment or at any time during the study period. 6) A suicide attempt or suicidal ideation with intent in the 30 days prior to enrollment. 7) Non-residents of California or Veterans in another state who are not enrolled in VA healthcare.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
San Francisco, California, 94121, United States
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