Cannabis use disorder treatment use and perceived treatment need in the United States: Time trends and age differences between 2002 and 2019

As trends in CUD treatment are understudied, we examined time trends in CUD treatment and perceived treatment need among people with CUD overall and by age group.

Data from the 2002–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health included 43,307 individuals who met past-year DSM-5-proxy CUD criteria. Last/current treatment for cannabis use (i.e., any or specialty CUD treatment) and perceived treatment need were regressed on survey year and age (12–17, 18–25, ≥26) using generalized linear spline models. Time-varying effect modification assessed the magnitude of age-treatment associations over time.

Between 2002 and 2019, 6.1% of people with CUD used any CUD treatment, 2.8% used specialty treatment, and 2.2% perceived a treatment need. CUD treatment use decreased by 54.23% between 2002 and 2019 (9.11%–4.17%). Compared with adolescents, adults ages 18–25 were less likely to use specialty CUD treatment [aRR: 0.70: 95% CI: 0.52, 0.93] and ages 26 were more likely to perceive treatment need [aRR: 1.84: 95% CI: 1.19, 2.83]. Age-specific differences in the time-varying magnitude of associations were observed (e.g., in 2010 perceived treatment need was higher in ages 26 versus ages 12–17 [aOR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.47, 3.71]).

CUD treatment is decreasing and young adults have lower treatment use compared with adolescents. Attitudes towards cannabis use harms are shifting, potentially contributing to decreasing CUD treatment utilization and perceived treatment need. Future research should identify treatment barriers, especially among young adults with the lowest CUD treatment use.