More teens with cannabis use disorder are facing treatment delays, study finds
As federal officials consider whether to reclassify marijuana under federal drug law, a new study has found that more American teenagers seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder, known as CUD, are facing longer wait times before receiving care.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, analyzed national data from more than 124,000 adolescent admissions to publicly funded substance use treatment facilities between 2012 and 2022. Researchers found that after several years of decline, the share of young people experiencing delays in accessing treatment increased sharply.
While overall adolescent cannabis use has leveled off or declined slightly over the past decade, some young people who use cannabis regularly develop CUD that requires treatment.
About 11% of adolescents who use cannabis or marijuana develop CUD within a year, according to the study. With continued use, that risk rises to about 20%. Other research suggests that about 4.7% of adolescents aged 12-17 meet the diagnostic criteria for CUD, a condition in which marijuana use becomes difficult to control and begins interfering with daily life.
According to the study, nearly 34% of adolescents, defined as children aged 12-17, seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder in 2022 experienced an admission delay — defined as waiting several days to more than a month after their initial request for treatment. The authors noted that elevated wait times in 2020 through 2022 may partly reflect COVID-19-related disruptions to treatment services, as well as increased demand for care.
“Just to address these delays, it will require coordinated efforts across health care,” said Yiota Kitsantas, the lead author of the study. Kitsantas is a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology, and interim chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University.
“Having proactive screening in primary care and school settings could promote early identification and hopefully then ensure timely access to care,” Kitsantas said.
The percentage of adolescents reporting delayed treatment represents a significant increase from a low of about 25% in 2015. Longer waits also became more common: The share of adolescents waiting a week or more peaked in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, with about 5% waiting at least 30 days to enter a treatment facility in 2022.
Adolescents referred to long-term rehabilitation or intensive outpatient programs had significantly higher odds of experiencing delays compared with those entering acute detoxification services.
The study also found differences in treatment delays based on living arrangements and referral sources. Youth living with parents or guardians experienced longer waits than unhoused youth, while adolescents referred by health care providers faced higher odds of delays compared with those who sought treatment themselves.
Male adolescents had 11% higher odds of experiencing treatment delays compared with female adolescents. While older teens ages 15 to 17 accounted for most admissions, the increase in wait times from 2018 to 2022 was more pronounced among younger adolescents ages 12 to 14, according to the study.
Non-Hispanic white adolescents had 29% higher odds of experiencing an admission delay compared with Hispanic adolescents. Black, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native youth had lower odds of experiencing delays than their Hispanic peers, according to the study.
While moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III could ease research restrictions, it would not immediately address local shortages or capacity issues within treatment systems. The potential shift also comes as states grapple with how to regulate increasingly potent cannabis products and address concerns about their potential links to cannabis use disorder and other public health impacts.
During this year’s legislative sessions, several states considered proposals to change or lower cannabis potency limits, though most did not advance.
In Connecticut, lawmakers reinstated a 35% THC cap on cannabis flower just weeks after removing it, citing concerns about the public health effects of increasingly potent products. And Oklahoma approved new packaging and labeling requirements aimed at preventing cannabis products from resembling candy or appealing to children.
Stateline reporter Amanda Watford can be reached at awatford@stateline.org.
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kentucky Lantern, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.