One in Three European Treatment Admissions for Substance Use Are Now Cannabis-Related | Research

The takeaway

Cannabis accounts for 37% of substance use treatment admissions across Europe, up from 29% in 2013, but only about 3 in 100 frequent users actually seek treatment.

Policymakers tracking cannabis treatment needs, addiction professionals, and anyone interested in European cannabis trends.

Only 3 in 100 frequent users sought treatment

What the researchers found

The cannabis-attributable treatment fraction rose from 29.4% in 2013 to 37.1% in 2020 across 20 European countries. However, only about 3 in 100 frequent cannabis users sought treatment, and the treatment gap appears to be widening as use increases faster than treatment demand.

Why it matters

The widening gap between cannabis use prevalence and treatment-seeking suggests that most people who develop problems with cannabis are not receiving help. As countries liberalize cannabis laws, monitoring whether treatment access keeps pace with use is critical.

The numbers in context

CATF ranged from 3% to 65% across 30 countries. Average CATF rose from 29.4% (2013) to 37.1% (2020). TUR: approximately 3 per 100 frequent users sought treatment. Eastern European countries had the lowest CATF values.

How the study worked

Analysis of treatment data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction across 30 countries. Two novel indicators were developed: the cannabis-attributable treatment fraction (CATF, proportion of all substance treatment entrants seeking help for cannabis) and the treated-user-ratio (TUR, treatment entrants divided by estimated frequent users).

What this study cannot tell us

Treatment data quality varies significantly across European countries. The treated-user-ratio relies on estimates of frequent use from surveys, which may undercount users. Treatment-seeking is influenced by many factors beyond need, including availability, cost, and stigma.

How to read the evidence

Large-scale European treatment data from 30 countries with novel analytical indicators. Strong population-level evidence, though data quality varies by country.

When this study was published

Published in 2025 with data through 2020.

The bigger picture

Europe is experiencing a patchwork of cannabis policy changes, and this study provides a framework for tracking whether treatment systems are responding adequately. The finding that treatment demand growth lags behind use prevalence growth across most countries signals a systemic challenge.

Questions still open

Why are so few frequent cannabis users seeking treatment? Is the low treatment rate due to lack of access, stigma, or because most frequent users do not develop clinically significant problems?

Common questions

Why is the treatment gap widening?

Cannabis use is growing faster than treatment-seeking in most European countries. This may reflect insufficient treatment capacity, stigma, or the fact that many frequent users do not perceive their use as problematic.

Which European countries have the highest cannabis treatment demand?

The study found wide variation, with CATF ranging from 3% to 65%. Eastern European countries generally had lower rates, while some Western European nations showed cannabis dominating treatment admissions.

Read the original research

Treatment demand for cannabis use problems: analyses of routine data from 30 European countries.

European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 275(2), 355-363

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Manthey, Jakob. (2025). Treatment demand for cannabis use problems: analyses of routine data from 30 European countries.. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 275(2), 355-363. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-024-01840-w