Prevalence of cannabis and tobacco use in patients attending a Methadone Center.: Evaluation by urinary biomarkers

Aim of the study. - The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cannabis and tobacco use in a population attending a Methadone Center. Methods. - We studied 49 patients over a 3-month period. Urine samples were obtained at three different times from each patient for analysis. We measured urinary cannabinoids using an immunopolarization assay to identify cannabinoid use. Cotinine concentrations were quantified in urine using a colorimetric assay to assess total urinary nicotine metabolites. Results. - The prevalence of cannabis use was high in this population. Urinary cannabinoids were present in 63% of the samples. Similarly 90% had high-urinary cotinine concentrations, Conclusion. - Measurement of urinary biomarkers showed that tobacco and cannabis use was high among patients attending a Methadone Center.