Clinicians Say Parents and Teens Both Downplay Cannabis Risks
Interviews with 32 clinicians across four specialties found that both adolescents and their parents minimizing cannabis risks is a major barrier to treatment.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Key barriers to treating adolescent cannabis use include minimization of risks by both teens and parents. Facilitators include using multiple screening tools, patient-centered approaches, and framing cannabis use within mental health context. Peer influence, virtual treatment, and parental involvement were context-dependent factors.
Key Numbers
32 clinicians interviewed (mean age 45.9, 56.3% female, 56.3% White) from four clinical settings: addiction medicine, ED, mental health, and pediatrics.
How They Did This
Qualitative study interviewing 32 clinicians from addiction medicine (n=13), emergency department (n=7), mental health (n=7), and pediatrics (n=5) in an integrated healthcare system.
Why This Research Matters
Clinicians across multiple specialties encounter adolescent cannabis use but face consistent barriers. Their cross-specialty insights reveal actionable strategies for improving treatment engagement.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis becomes increasingly normalized, the challenge of getting teens and families to take cannabis use seriously grows. Clinicians see this minimization as perhaps the biggest obstacle to meaningful intervention.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Clinician perspectives from one healthcare system. No direct patient or parent input. Qualitative design limits generalizability of findings.
Questions This Raises
- ?What strategies most effectively counter risk minimization in teens and parents?
- ?How can screening be improved to catch at-risk adolescents earlier?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Both adolescents and parents minimizing cannabis risks identified as the top treatment barrier
- Evidence Grade:
- Qualitative interviews across multiple specialties provide rich clinical insights but cannot quantify prevalence of barriers.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study from an integrated healthcare system.
- Original Title:
- Clinician perspectives on barriers and facilitators to the treatment of adolescent cannabis use: A qualitative study.
- Published In:
- Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 169, 209559 (2025)
- Authors:
- Mian, Maha N(8), Annam, Jay(2), Altschuler, Andrea(10), Does, Monique B, Sterling, Stacy A, Satre, Derek D, Campbell, Cynthia I, Asyyed, Asma H, Silver, Lynn D, Cunningham, Sarah F, Young-Wolff, Kelly C
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07131
Evidence Hierarchy
Uses interviews or focus groups to understand experiences in depth.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it hard to treat teen cannabis use?
Clinicians reported that both teenagers and their parents tend to minimize the risks of cannabis use, making it difficult to engage either party in treatment. Peer influence and inconsistent parental involvement add to the challenge.
What helps clinicians address teen cannabis use?
Using multiple screening tools, taking patient-centered approaches, and discussing cannabis in the context of mental health were identified as the most effective strategies across multiple clinical settings.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07131APA
Mian, Maha N; Annam, Jay; Altschuler, Andrea; Does, Monique B; Sterling, Stacy A; Satre, Derek D; Campbell, Cynthia I; Asyyed, Asma H; Silver, Lynn D; Cunningham, Sarah F; Young-Wolff, Kelly C. (2025). Clinician perspectives on barriers and facilitators to the treatment of adolescent cannabis use: A qualitative study.. Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 169, 209559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209559
MLA
Mian, Maha N, et al. "Clinician perspectives on barriers and facilitators to the treatment of adolescent cannabis use: A qualitative study.." Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209559
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Clinician perspectives on barriers and facilitators to the t..." RTHC-07131. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mian-2025-clinician-perspectives-on-barriers
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.