Marijuana Can Be Addictive
Between 1995 and 2022 the delta-9 THC potency (strength) in illegal cannabis products seized by law enforcement quadrupled from 3.96% to 16.14%. Cannabis flower and concentrates in dispensaries can have THC concentrations of more than 40%.3 Higher THC concentrations have been associated with a greater likelihood of cannabis use progressing to cannabis use disorder, among other health concerns.4
About 18 million people — nearly a third of all users ages 18 and up — have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, according to estimates from a unique data analysis conducted for The Times by a Columbia University epidemiologist. That would mean they continue to use the drug despite significant negative effects on their lives. Of those, about three million people are considered addicted.
The estimates are based on responses to the 2022 U.S. national drug use survey from people who reported any cannabis consumption within the previous year. The results are especially stark among 18- to 25-year-olds: More than 4.5 million use the drug daily or near daily, according to the estimates, and 81 percent of those users meet the criteria for the disorder.
“That means almost everybody that uses it every day is reporting problems with it,” said Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who was not involved in the analysis. “That is a very clear warning sign.”