Jose Luis Vazquez Martinez

Trends in the Prevalence and Severity of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorders Among US Adults

Jose Luis Vazquez Martinez -

Source:

Han B, Compton WM, Hobin JA, Volkow ND. Trends in the Prevalence and Severity of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorders Among US Adults. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online August 19, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.2497

 

Key Points

Question  What are patterns of change in prevalence and severity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) as a function of age and sex?

Findings  In this cross-sectional study, divergent age- and sex-specific patterns emerged from 2021 through 2024: CUD and moderate-to-severe CUD prevalence increased, while AUD and moderate-to-severe AUD prevalence remained stable or declined. Moderate-to-severe CUD increased among males (from 3.1% to 4.1%, especially in males aged 35-49 and ≥50 years) and females (from 1.7% to 2.5%, especially in females aged 21-34, 35-49, and ≥50 years).

Meaning  Moderate-to-severe CUD warrants clinical treatment, and significant increases in its prevalence challenge the notion that cannabis has low addictive potential.