More Teens Entered Marijuana Treatment Over 18 Years, But Their Drug Problems Got Less Severe
From 1995 to 2012, youth marijuana treatment admissions increased while the severity of drug involvement among those admitted dramatically decreased, suggesting changing thresholds for treatment referral.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This study examined national trends in youth marijuana treatment admissions from 1995 to 2012 using over 12 million treatment records.
Two divergent trends emerged: the number of youth admitted to substance abuse treatment for marijuana steadily increased, while the degree of drug involvement (severity of use) among those admitted dramatically dropped over nearly two decades.
The increasing admissions were largely youth in dependent living situations (living with parents), suggesting many were referred by parents, schools, or courts rather than seeking treatment voluntarily for severe problems.
The decreasing severity suggests that changing perceptions and policies around marijuana may have lowered the threshold for treatment referral. Youth who would not have been referred to treatment in earlier years were now entering the treatment system, even though their level of marijuana involvement was less severe.
Key Numbers
Over 12 million treatment admissions analyzed from 1995 to 2012. Increasing admissions of youth in dependent living (with parents). Dramatic decrease in drug involvement severity over 18 years.
How They Did This
Analysis of first-time substance abuse treatment admissions among youth using the Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions (TEDS-A) from SAMHSA (N = 12,025,787). Chi-squared analysis examined differences between admission years, and binomial logistic regression examined trends from 1995 to 2012.
Why This Research Matters
This study reframes the narrative around increasing youth marijuana treatment admissions. Rather than indicating worsening marijuana problems among youth, the trend may reflect lower tolerance for marijuana use by schools, parents, and courts, resulting in treatment referrals for less severe use.
The Bigger Picture
The disconnect between increasing admissions and decreasing severity raises important resource allocation questions. If youth with mild marijuana use are filling treatment slots designed for severe substance use, this could divert resources from those with greater need. Screening and brief intervention tools may be more appropriate for many of these youth.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative treatment data does not capture clinical outcomes. Changes in referral patterns, funding, and available treatment programs over 18 years confound interpretation. The study cannot determine whether early intervention for mild use prevents escalation.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are youth with low-severity marijuana use benefiting from formal treatment, or would screening and brief intervention be more appropriate?
- ?Has the trend continued since legalization in several states?
- ?Are treatment resources being optimally allocated?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Youth marijuana admissions rose while drug severity dramatically dropped over 18 years
- Evidence Grade:
- Large national administrative dataset spanning 18 years. Moderate because the scope is impressive but administrative data cannot capture clinical nuance.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2017, covering 1995-2012.
- Original Title:
- Trends of Youth Marijuana Treatment Admissions: Increasing Admissions Contrasted with Decreasing Drug Involvement.
- Published In:
- Substance use & misuse, 52(13), 1778-1783 (2017)
- Authors:
- Marzell, Miesha(2), Sahker, Ethan(2), Arndt, Stephan(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01452
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are more teens having marijuana problems?
Not necessarily. While more teens entered treatment for marijuana from 1995-2012, the severity of their drug involvement actually decreased dramatically. The increase may reflect lower tolerance by schools and parents rather than worsening teen marijuana problems.
Should all teen marijuana users go to treatment?
This study highlights that many youth entering treatment had low-severity involvement. The authors suggest screening, brief intervention, and motivational interviewing may be more appropriate than formal treatment for varying levels of marijuana use.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01452APA
Marzell, Miesha; Sahker, Ethan; Arndt, Stephan. (2017). Trends of Youth Marijuana Treatment Admissions: Increasing Admissions Contrasted with Decreasing Drug Involvement.. Substance use & misuse, 52(13), 1778-1783. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2017.1311349
MLA
Marzell, Miesha, et al. "Trends of Youth Marijuana Treatment Admissions: Increasing Admissions Contrasted with Decreasing Drug Involvement.." Substance use & misuse, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2017.1311349
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trends of Youth Marijuana Treatment Admissions: Increasing A..." RTHC-01452. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/marzell-2017-trends-of-youth-marijuana
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.