People With ADHD Start Using Cannabis and Other Drugs Earlier
Adults with ADHD and substance use disorder started using substances at a younger age and had higher rates of cannabis, alcohol, and methamphetamine use compared to those without ADHD.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The ADHD group had a lower age of onset for substance use. ADHD individuals had higher rates of alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, and tramadol use, while the non-ADHD group had higher rates of Ritalin, methadone, ecstasy, morphine, and hypnotics. The pattern suggests ADHD is associated with earlier initiation and preference for stimulating and cannabis-type substances.
Key Numbers
50 ADHD, 90 non-ADHD. ADHD group: higher alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol. Non-ADHD: higher Ritalin, methadone, ecstasy, morphine, hypnotics. ADHD group started substances earlier.
How They Did This
Longitudinal study of 140 adults (50 with ADHD, 90 without) with substance use disorder in addiction detention in Tehran (2021-2022). ADHD diagnosed via SCID and Conner's questionnaire. Onset age and patterns of 10 substances compared.
Why This Research Matters
The lower age of onset in ADHD has clinical implications: earlier substance initiation is associated with worse long-term outcomes. Identifying ADHD in young people could provide a window for preventive intervention before substance use begins.
The Bigger Picture
ADHD persists into adulthood in 60% of cases and affects 4% of adults. The overlap with substance use disorders suggests shared neurodevelopmental pathways, with impulsivity and sensation-seeking as potential mechanisms driving earlier and broader substance experimentation.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Study conducted in addiction detention, limiting generalizability. Small ADHD sample (n=50). Cross-sectional assessment of retrospectively reported onset ages introduces recall bias. Iranian cultural context may differ from other countries.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would treating ADHD earlier reduce substance use initiation?
- ?Why do ADHD individuals prefer different substances than non-ADHD individuals?
- ?Could cannabis use in ADHD be partly self-medication for attention symptoms?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- ADHD group started substance use at a younger age
- Evidence Grade:
- Small clinical sample with validated ADHD diagnosis, but limited by addiction detention setting and retrospective design.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study using 2021-2022 data
- Original Title:
- Patterns of substance use and initiation timing in adults with substance abuse: a comparison between those with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Published In:
- Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 86(8), 4397-4401 (2024)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05780
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do people with ADHD use more cannabis?
In this study, adults with ADHD had higher rates of cannabis use (and alcohol and methamphetamine) compared to those without ADHD, and they started using substances at a younger age.
Should ADHD be screened in substance use treatment?
This study supports early ADHD screening, as the ADHD group started substances younger and used a broader range of high-risk substances, suggesting ADHD treatment could be an intervention point.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05780APA
Vaziri-Harami, Roya; Khademi, Mojgan; Zolfaghari, Anahita; Vaziri-Harami, Saharnaz. (2024). Patterns of substance use and initiation timing in adults with substance abuse: a comparison between those with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.. Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 86(8), 4397-4401. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000002272
MLA
Vaziri-Harami, Roya, et al. "Patterns of substance use and initiation timing in adults with substance abuse: a comparison between those with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.." Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 2024. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000002272
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Patterns of substance use and initiation timing in adults wi..." RTHC-05780. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/vaziri-harami-2024-patterns-of-substance-use
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.