An analysis of 1.2 million CUD treatment episodes found Black patients received evidence-based psychotherapy (CBT, MET) at half the rate of White patients, even after controlling for insurance, geography, and severity.
Addiction treatment providers, health equity researchers, policymakers, and healthcare administrators.
What the researchers found
Black patients with CUD received evidence-based psychotherapy (CBT or MET) in 18% of treatment episodes vs. 35% for White patients (adjusted OR=0.48). Hispanic patients also received less evidence-based treatment (24%, aOR=0.62). Disparities persisted after controlling for insurance type, facility characteristics, geographic region, and disorder severity. The gap was largest in outpatient settings.
Why it matters
Cannabis use disorder treatment should be equitable. This large-scale analysis reveals systematic racial disparities in the quality of CUD treatment that cannot be explained by insurance, geography, or clinical factors alone.
The numbers in context
1.2 million episodes; Black 18% vs. White 35% evidence-based therapy; aOR=0.48; Hispanic 24%, aOR=0.62; gap largest in outpatient settings.
How the study worked
Retrospective analysis of 1.2 million CUD treatment episodes in the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) from 2015-2020. Multilevel logistic regression controlling for patient, facility, and geographic factors.
What this study cannot tell us
Administrative data cannot capture treatment quality details. TEDS may not represent all treatment settings. Therapist characteristics not captured. Patient preferences not measured. 2015-2020 data may not reflect current patterns.
How to read the evidence
Very large sample with robust statistical controls provides strong evidence of disparity, though administrative data limits understanding of mechanisms.
When this study was published
2025 analysis of national treatment data from 2015-2020.
The bigger picture
Racial disparities in healthcare are well-documented, but this study quantifies the gap specifically for cannabis use disorder treatment. As CUD prevalence increases with legalization, ensuring equitable access to evidence-based treatment becomes more urgent.
Questions still open
- What drives the treatment disparity — provider bias, resource allocation, or structural factors?
- Do treatment outcome disparities mirror the access disparities?
Common questions
Is cannabis addiction treatment equitable?
What is evidence-based CUD treatment?
Read the original research
Trends in cannabis use disorder and treatment by race and ethnicity, 2002-2019.
Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1689719
Citation
Triguero Roura, Mireia; Vora, Aabha; Eschliman, Evan L; Mauro, Pia M. (2025). Trends in cannabis use disorder and treatment by race and ethnicity, 2002-2019.. Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1689719. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1689719
Explore the wider topic
- Physical vs Psychological Cannabis Dependence: What Science Actually Shows
- The Gap Between Cannabis Perception and Science: Why What We Believe Outpaces What We Know
- Cannabis Use Disorder: Am I Addicted? Self-Assessment Guide
- Cross-Addiction After Quitting Weed: When One Habit Replaces Another
- Is Weed Addictive? What the Research Actually Shows
- Is Cannabis Addictive? What the DSM-5 and Brain Science Say
- Quitting Weed and Alcohol Together: What to Know About Dual Cessation
- Is Rehab Necessary for Weed? An Honest Assessment
- Signs You May Have Cannabis Use Disorder: An Honest Self-Assessment
- Weed Vape Pen Addiction: Why Vaping Makes It Harder to Quit