Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Linked to More Missed Work Days in National Survey
Among 46,499 full-time US workers, recent cannabis use and cannabis use disorder showed dose-response associations with workplace absenteeism, with severe CUD linked to nearly triple the rate of skipping work.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Past-month cannabis use was associated with more missed work days due to illness and more skipped work days compared to no lifetime use. A clear dose-response relationship emerged: mild CUD increased skipping work 1.6x, moderate CUD 2.0x, and severe CUD 2.9x compared to no CUD.
Key Numbers
46,499 full-time workers surveyed. 15.9% used cannabis in past month. 6.5% met CUD criteria. Dose-response for skipping work: mild CUD aIRR 1.60 (95% CI: 1.24-2.08), moderate CUD aIRR 1.98 (1.50-2.61), severe CUD aIRR 2.87 (2.12-3.88). Past-month use also associated with more illness-related absences.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of 46,499 full-time employed adults from the 2021-2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Negative binomial regression examined associations between cannabis use recency, frequency, CUD severity, and workplace absenteeism (missed days due to illness/injury and skipped work days), adjusting for sociodemographics and other substance use.
Why This Research Matters
With 15.9% of full-time US workers using cannabis in the past month and 6.5% meeting CUD criteria, the workplace impact is substantial. The dose-response relationship between CUD severity and absenteeism provides concrete data for employers and policymakers grappling with cannabis in the workplace post-legalization.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis legalization expands and workplace drug testing policies evolve, empirical data on actual workplace impacts becomes critical. This national-level evidence shows that the relationship between cannabis and work performance is not binary but follows a severity gradient, which could inform nuanced workplace policies.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine whether cannabis use causes absenteeism or whether shared factors (e.g., mental health conditions) drive both. Self-reported absenteeism may be inaccurate. The study cannot distinguish between impairment-related and other reasons for missing work.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would workplace-based CUD treatment programs reduce absenteeism?
- ?How do cannabis-related absences compare economically to alcohol-related absences?
- ?Do different cannabis use patterns (e.g., medical vs recreational, evening vs daytime) affect workplace outcomes differently?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 2.87x higher rate of skipping work with severe cannabis use disorder
- Evidence Grade:
- Strong: large nationally representative sample with detailed dose-response analysis, adjusted for multiple confounders including other substance use.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study using 2021-2022 NSDUH data.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Use, Use Disorder, and Workplace Absenteeism in the U.S., 2021-2022.
- Published In:
- American journal of preventive medicine, 67(6), 803-810 (2024)
- Authors:
- Yang, Kevin H(8), Mueller, Letitia, El-Shahawy, Omar(2), Palamar, Joseph J
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05832
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common is cannabis use among workers?
Nearly 1 in 6 full-time US workers (15.9%) used cannabis in the past month, and 6.5% met criteria for cannabis use disorder. These rates reflect the 2021-2022 period and may have increased since.
Does casual cannabis use affect work attendance?
Yes. Even past-month cannabis use without meeting CUD criteria was associated with more missed and skipped work days compared to people who had never used cannabis. However, the effect was substantially larger for those with diagnosed CUD.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05832APA
Yang, Kevin H; Mueller, Letitia; El-Shahawy, Omar; Palamar, Joseph J. (2024). Cannabis Use, Use Disorder, and Workplace Absenteeism in the U.S., 2021-2022.. American journal of preventive medicine, 67(6), 803-810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2024.07.021
MLA
Yang, Kevin H, et al. "Cannabis Use, Use Disorder, and Workplace Absenteeism in the U.S., 2021-2022.." American journal of preventive medicine, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2024.07.021
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Use, Use Disorder, and Workplace Absenteeism in the..." RTHC-05832. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/yang-2024-cannabis-use-use-disorder
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.