Cannabis Use Disorder Cases in U.S. Mental Health Treatment Nearly Doubled From 2013 to 2018
Analysis of nearly 4 million cases over 10 years showed cannabis use disorder diagnoses in U.S. mental health facilities rose dramatically, with depression as the most common co-occurring condition (30%) and 60% of CUD patients being male.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Of 3.95 million cases with alcohol or cannabis use disorder in mental health treatment, 1.63 million had CUD. Cannabis use disorder peaked in 2018 (199,744 cases). Depression was the most common co-occurring diagnosis (30.3% of CUD cases). 60% of CUD patients were male.
Key Numbers
Total analytic sample: 3,947,802 cases (6.4% of full dataset). CUD: 1,632,116 cases. AUD: 2,315,686. CUD peak year: 2018 (199,744). CUD: 60% male. Depression co-occurred in 30.3% of CUD. AUD co-occurring depression: 35.5%. AUD peak year: 2020 (278,550).
How They Did This
Descriptive epidemiological analysis of Mental Health Client-Level Data, a nationwide U.S. dataset, from 2013 to 2022. Annual cross-sectional data merged across 10 years. Separate examination of alcohol use disorder (n=2,315,686) and cannabis use disorder (n=1,632,116) samples.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis use disorder is often encountered in mental health settings rather than addiction treatment settings. Understanding the characteristics of CUD patients in mental health care helps clinicians prepare to screen for and address cannabis problems alongside depression and other conditions.
The Bigger Picture
The fact that most CUD patients are encountered in mental health settings — not addiction clinics — underscores the need for mental health providers to be competent in assessing and addressing cannabis use disorders as part of integrated care.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative data — depends on coding accuracy. Cross-sectional annual snapshots don't track individuals over time. Cannot determine if CUD caused depression or vice versa. Only captures people who reached treatment; many with CUD never seek help. Facility-level data may not represent all treatment settings.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why did CUD peak in 2018 before cannabis legalization expanded?
- ?Is the co-occurrence of depression and CUD driving treatment-seeking?
- ?How should mental health facilities adapt to address CUD alongside primary mental health disorders?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationwide administrative dataset spanning 10 years with nearly 4 million cases, providing robust descriptive epidemiology.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025, data from 2013–2022.
- Original Title:
- Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnoses in Mental Health Treatment 2013 to 2022: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study.
- Published In:
- Substance use : research and treatment, 19, 29768357251384499 (2025)
- Authors:
- Ware, Orrin D
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07926
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
How common is cannabis use disorder in mental health treatment?
Very common — 1.63 million CUD cases were identified in mental health facilities over 10 years, representing about 6.4% of all mental health treatment cases in the national dataset.
What mental health conditions co-occur with cannabis use disorder?
Depression was most common (30.3%), followed by other mental health disorders. This mirrors the alcohol use disorder population, where depression co-occurred in 35.5% of cases.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07926APA
Ware, Orrin D. (2025). Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnoses in Mental Health Treatment 2013 to 2022: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study.. Substance use : research and treatment, 19, 29768357251384499. https://doi.org/10.1177/29768357251384499
MLA
Ware, Orrin D. "Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnoses in Mental Health Treatment 2013 to 2022: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study.." Substance use : research and treatment, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/29768357251384499
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnoses in Mental Health..." RTHC-07926. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ware-2025-alcohol-and-cannabis-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.