Teens may turn to marijuana use for many reasons: curiosity, stress relief, peer pressure, help with mental health, or for the positive feelings of being "high." However, there is a difference between casual use and reliance on cannabis to function. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is the persistent use and reliance on marijuana despite it causing physical or social harm.
Despite the well-documented health impacts, especially for youths, receiving treatment is not simple. Research by Panagiota Kitsantas found that nearly one in three adolescents with CUD experienced delays in accessing much-needed care.
"There are persistent and rising barriers to timely treatment. There are variations in access speed across referral processes, suggesting system-level improvements are needed," said Kitsantas, professor and interim chair of the College of Public Health Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP). Hong Xue , associate professor in the HAP department, was one of the study's co-authors.
Kitsantas' newly published research addresses key research gaps of patterns and predictors of treatment delays among U.S. adolescents with CUD. In particular, younger adolescents, males, White non-Hispanic youth, and those in residential rehabilitation and outpatient settings experienced more delays.
Why this matters
Despite treatment delays declining between 2012 and 2018, the rate of youth experiencing treatment delays has steadily risen since then.
For younger people, cannabis use can have negative impacts on brain development, impairing thinking, memory, problem-solving, learning, coordination, and attention. Cannabis use in adolescence has been linked to poor academic performance, including increased risk of school dropout and lower likelihood of seeking higher education.
Delving into the research
Kitsantas and the research team identified critical findings about CUD treatment and youth:
- About 31% of adolescents experienced treatment delays for cannabis use disorder.
- Despite treatment delays declining through 2018, they increased by 2022.
- Younger adolescents (12–14), males, and White non-Hispanic youth were more likely to experience treatment delays.
- Youth referred for treatment through health care systems were more likely to experience treatment delays compared to those who self-referred.
- Adolescents in rehabilitation/residential and outpatient settings experienced more delays than those in detox services, suggesting system-level variation in access speed.
Admission Delays in Receiving Treatment for Cannabis Use Disorder among US Adolescents was published April 2026 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
"I hope this research draws attention to the growing and preventable problem of delayed treatment for adolescents with cannabis use disorder. Ultimately, the goal is to promote timely access to treatment and improve long-term outcomes for adolescents while easing the broader public health burden of substance use," said Kitsantas.
