Overview
- A JAMA Psychiatry analysis of 186,823 National Survey on Drug Use and Health responses found past-year cannabis use disorder increased nationally from 2021 to 2024, with greater gains for men than women.
- Moderate-to-severe cannabis use disorder rose across multiple age groups, with notable increases among people ages 21–34, 35–49, and those 50 and older.
- Among 18–20-year-olds in 2024, cannabis use disorder prevalence exceeded alcohol use disorder, and about 30 percent of people who used cannabis showed symptoms consistent with a disorder.
- Experts in reporting on Wednesday pointed to higher THC levels and wider legal access as likely contributors, and they warned that no medication is approved by the FDA specifically for cannabis use disorder.
- Public-health responses could include expanded screening, age- and sex‑inclusive prevention, and investment in treatments, because current options are mostly behavioral therapies or off‑label medications.