Cannabis use disorder (CUD) among American adults is rising as cannabis use increases, according to the findings of a new study.
The peer-reviewed study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on Aug. 19, analyzed data from 186,823 adult participants in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted between 2021 and 2024.
Among men aged 18 or older, past-year CUD prevalence rose from 7.3 to 9.3 percent between the four years, paralleling cannabis use rising from 22.2 percent to 25.7 percent during this period.
For women, past-year cannabis use disorder prevalence rose from 4.5 to 5.6 percent, with usage rising from 17.7 to 21.2 percent.
When checking for cannabis use disorder prevalence among cannabis users alone rather than the overall study population, the prevalence for men was 36.2 percent in 2024, and 26.6 percent for women.
According to the study, “findings repudiate conventional assumptions that cannabis carries a low addiction risk and that most young adults with CUD have mild symptoms.”
Among males aged 18–20, past-year cannabis use in 2024 was reported at 29.8 percent. For females in the age group, this figure stood at 30.7 percent. Among those who used cannabis, up to 50 percent had cannabis use disorder. And among those with CUD, up to 61 percent were moderate-to-severe cases.
CUD is linked to negative cognitive, psychosocial, and physical outcomes, including violence, suicidality, and schizophrenia, especially among young men, according to the study.
And while moderate-to-severe cases of cannabis use disorder have been rising, treatment rates have declined alongside an expansion in cannabis legislation amid increasing perceived benefits.
Moreover, medically recommended cannabis does not present any reduced risk of moderate-to-severe CUD compared to nonmedical use of the substance, according to the study.
The increased prevalence of cannabis use disorder “underscores the importance of early detection, routine screening, timely access to evidence-based CUD treatment, and targeted strategies to counter increasing acceptance, availability, and potency of cannabis products,” the study said.
One of the authors declared a conflict of interest, holding long-term stocks in Pfizer, General Electric, and industrial machinery company 3M. The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
According to a February 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cannabis use directly impacts brain functions, especially the parts responsible for learning, memory, decision-making, emotions, attention, reaction time, and coordination.
The substance can make the heart beat faster, pushing up blood pressure immediately after use. Cannabis usage posed a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and other vascular diseases.
As for mental health, the use of cannabis has been linked to depression and social anxiety, the CDC said.
Medical Cannabis Research
Last December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to speed up the reclassification of cannabis for use in medical research. At the time, a White House official told reporters that the order is intended to allow research that is prohibited under the existing classification.
In an April 23 Truth Social post, Trump said that one in five adults had used CBD products over the past year, with many saying it enormously improved their chronic pain condition. Trump called on Congress to update the law so that Americans can continue getting access to CBD products while ensuring that the sale of items posing health risks is restricted.
The same day, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the issuance of an order immediately placing some marijuana, or cannabis, products under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
Drugs classified as Schedule III are deemed to have lower abuse potential and are accepted for medical use. The Schedule III classification is only applicable to FDA-approved marijuana products and cannabis items regulated by a state medical marijuana license.
Studies on the medicinal benefits of cannabis have shown mixed results.
A study published in PLOS One in April last year, which analyzed data from Australians, found “statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements” in overall health-related quality of life among patients prescribed medicinal cannabis to manage chronic health conditions.
However, a review of over 120 studies published by the Journal of the American Medical Association on Nov. 26 concluded that there was little evidence supporting medical cannabis use for a variety of conditions, including insomnia.
Another review, published in the Cochrane Library on Jan. 19, examined results from 21 randomized trials, concluding that medical benefits of cannabis were inconsistent and that side effects were common. Moreover, the quality of most of the trials was “too poor to draw firm conclusions,” the lead author said in a statement.