Summary
Cannabis use is increasingly common in the United States as more states legalize marijuana, but addiction specialists say the belief that people cannot get hooked on pot is wrong. Cannabis use disorder can develop and can interfere with day-to-day functioning, relationships and health, according to reporting on the condition and how clinicians treat it.
Dr. Smita Das, an addiction psychiatrist at Stanford University, said she often hears the myth that “You can’t get hooked on pot,” and she tied the risk to both how much people use and how strong the cannabis is. “The more that somebody uses and the higher potency that somebody uses, the higher the risk of that,” Das said.
Das described cannabis use disorder as a diagnosable substance use disorder that is tracked using the same general approach clinicians use for other addictions. She said it is diagnosed by looking at whether someone meets criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, including needing more of the drug to get the same effect, experiencing withdrawal symptoms, and spending a lot of time trying to get or use cannabis.
Clinicians also point to changes in cannabis chemistry over time. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says THC potency in cannabis flower and concentrates sold in dispensaries can reach 40% or more, while in the 1960s most marijuana smoked contained less than 5% THC. Das said the issue does not affect everyone in the same way, and she described risk in terms of impact on a person’s functioning day to day.
Reporting also said that cannabis use disorder is on the rise, affecting about 3 in 10 people who use pot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition’s severity is based on how many of the diagnostic criteria someone meets in a year—clinicians said two criteria typically indicates mild cannabis use disorder, while meeting six or more indicates a more severe form. The reporting cited the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and said 7% of all people age 12 or older had cannabis use disorder in 2024, with most cases classified as mild and about 1 in 5 as severe.
Beyond diagnosis, the reporting described how clinicians and support groups approach treatment. Das said motivational interviewing—goal-oriented counseling aimed at helping patients find internal motivation to change—can be part of care, as can cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of talk therapy that helps people challenge negative thought patterns and reduce unhelpful behaviors.
The reporting also highlighted peer-support options. Das said 12-step programs like Marijuana Anonymous can help, and she emphasized that even choosing not to join a specific group, recovering people benefit from leaning on community support from people who are not using pot. The story also described a long-running online peer group led by Dave Bushnell, a retired digital executive creative director who started a Reddit group 14 years ago for people seeking help recovering from cannabis dependence; his group’s discussion forum has 350,000 members and continues to grow.
Bushnell said peer support is essential and that some people find online discussions easier than in-person meetings. “This is potheads taking care of potheads,” he said, describing an emphasis on mutual support among people trying to recover.
Das urged people to get help if they need it, whether from professionals or peers. She added that “just because something’s legal doesn’t mean that it’s safe,” underscoring that legal status alone does not determine whether a person is at risk of developing an addiction and needing treatment.