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News
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is on the rise across US adults — especially in middle-aged and older groups — while alcohol use disorder (AUD) is trending downward, according to a new JAMA Psychiatry study. From 2021 to 2024, CUD prevalence jumped from 7.3% to 9.3% in men and 4.5% to 5.6% in women. Among women over 50, moderate-to-severe CUD increased a striking sevenfold.
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is quietly becoming a growing public health concern — and it's not just a young person's problem. A large cross-sectional study published in JAMA Psychiatry, drawing on nationally representative data from over 186,000 US adults surveyed between 2021 and 2024, found that CUD prevalence rose significantly across most age and sex groups, while alcohol use disorder (AUD) generally held steady or declined.
The sharpest increases were seen in middle-aged and older adults. Among men aged 35–49, CUD jumped from 7.2% to 10.4%, and among women 50+, moderate-to-severe CUD increased a remarkable sevenfold — from 0.1% to 0.7%. Meanwhile, AUD fell among younger adults, with men aged 21–34 seeing a drop from 20.0% to 17.0%.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: As cannabis becomes more widely available and socially accepted, clinicians and public health officials need age- and sex-tailored strategies to screen for and treat CUD — particularly in populations that have historically flown under the radar.
