Moderate-to-severe cannabis use disorder rising while alcohol use disorder stable

This cross-sectional study analyzed 2021-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data from 186,823 US adults to examine trends in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) by age and sex using DSM-5 criteria. The study reported that past-year CUD prevalence increased among both males and females, with moderate-to-severe CUD rising across most age groups including those 35 and older, while moderate-to-severe AUD prevalence remained largely stable across sexes and subgroups. The authors stated that among adults aged 18-20 and males aged 21-34 with CUD, 51%-61% had moderate-to-severe disease in 2024, and concluded this challenges assumptions about cannabis having low addictive potential.

Most relevant for: Adults who use cannabis, particularly males and females in midlife and older age groups and young adults with cannabis use disorder.

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