Megan Feller smoked marijuana several times a day and said she could not eat, sleep or function without it, but at the time she did not see the need to reach out for help. In comments carried in a recent Associated Press report, the 24-year-old described a belief that marijuana was “socially accepted” and “a big deal.” Experts say that mindset has been strengthened as more states legalize marijuana, products become more potent, and regular use becomes more common—while fewer people who develop cannabis use disorder seek treatment.
The Associated Press report said the trend shows up in the gap between addiction and treatment. Researchers estimate that cannabis use disorder affects about 3 in 10 people who use marijuana, a condition described as involving cravings and spending lots of time using cannabis even when it causes problems at home, school, work or in relationships. Dr. Das, an addiction psychiatrist at Stanford University, told the outlet that the disorder is an addiction “despite the common misconception” that addiction is not possible with marijuana.
Dr. Exo of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation said the drug’s wider acceptance has helped fuel stigma around seeking care. In the report, she pointed to “this pervasive belief that you can’t become addicted, it can’t actually be a problem,” and said it relates to what she described as a myth that cannabis is safe, natural and benign. That stigma, she said, can reduce the number of people who seek help even as use disorders rise.
Experts also highlighted why treatment and education matter for health. The report said frequent or heavy marijuana use has been linked with problems with learning, memory and attention, and with chronic nausea, vomiting and lung problems among people who smoke it. The Associated Press also said some evidence has linked cannabis use to an earlier onset of psychosis in people with genetic risk factors for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
The outlet said today’s marijuana products differ from the plant people remember from earlier decades. Dr. Exo compared older use patterns with current cannabis products, noting that the marijuana of the past was different from what dispensaries sell now. The report said that in the 1960s, most marijuana sold contained less than 5% THC—the ingredient associated with the high—while today THC potency in flower and concentrates sold in dispensaries can reach 40% or more, citing the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The Associated Press report also described how methods of use can increase the risk for some users, particularly teens. It said teens are often vaping potent marijuana concentrates rather than using cannabis flower in foods such as brownies or taking a hit from a bong. The report said that easier access to marijuana has also coincided with rising emergency room visits for “acute cannabis intoxication,” in which patients may experience a rapid heartbeat or feel dizzy, confused or paranoid.
One study highlighted in the report focused on Michigan and found that legalization was associated with an immediate increase in emergency room visits for acute cannabis intoxication among people of all ages, especially middle-aged adults. Dr. Das said increased access to cannabis, the number of cannabis products and higher potency all contribute to rising ER visits. She also pointed to edibles as a particular challenge, saying gummies and other edible products can take longer to kick in, which can lead people to keep taking more before they feel the effects—until, the report said, “suddenly, they’re suffering from cannabis toxicity.”
Feller’s account also illustrated how treatment can be delayed when users do not identify marijuana use as a problem. The report said she first tried pot at 16, moved from smoking to vape cartridges that were easy to hide, and soon said she could barely get by without it. She described using marijuana not just to get high but to make other symptoms go away, including years in which, she said, she would wake up and “until I smoked weed, I would throw up.”
The report said Feller was sent to a treatment center when she was around 18 after her substance use worsened, but it did not help because she was not ready to get well. After her mother died, her substance use worsened again, and at 22 Feller entered Hazelden on her own—first to stop drinking alcohol, which she said she did. She later sought treatment for cannabis use disorder and said she had been sober from marijuana for almost a year.
Experts told the Associated Press that treatment for cannabis use disorder often gets overlooked and that fewer people are getting care than in the past. The report quoted Brian Graves, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University, who and his colleagues published a study that found the share of people who got treatment for cannabis use disorder dropped from 19% in 2003 to 13% in 2019, based on a nationally representative sample. The report said an earlier study also found a decline and pointed to reasons including expanding cannabis legalization and more tolerant attitudes.
In the Associated Press report, Dr. Exo said helping people recognize risk before they start is an “important piece,” and said people also need to feel “safe enough to say, ‘Hey, I need help managing this.’” Feller said she believes people may wait until marijuana causes problems in multiple parts of their lives, and urged people to get help. The report also said experts advise education about cannabis risks, likening it to alcohol in that it can be misused and can cause real harm.