Marijuana addiction is rising across the United States, yet fewer people are seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder, according to mental health professionals.
The disconnect comes as daily marijuana use has reached historic levels, with nearly 18 million Americans reporting daily or near-daily use in 2022, according to a federally supported national survey.
The normalization of cannabis through widespread legalization has created a dangerous blind spot. Many users don’t recognize their dependency as addiction, making intervention increasingly difficult.
“I didn’t think cannabis was a big deal,” said Megan Feller, a 24-year-old Minnesota resident who battled marijuana addiction. “It was really socially accepted.”
Today’s marijuana products can reach THC levels of 40% or more, the psychoactive compound. That’s roughly eight times stronger than typical pot of the 1960s, which contained less than 5% THC.
This surge in potency coincides with expanding access. Twenty-four states now allow recreational use, while 40 permit medical marijuana as of mid-2025.
“There’s this pervasive belief that you can’t become addicted, it can’t actually be a problem,” said Dr. Jennifer Exo of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. “It has to do with this myth that cannabis is safe, natural and benign.”
Cannabis use disorder affects roughly 3 in 10 marijuana users. The condition involves craving the drug and prioritizing its use despite negative consequences at work, school, or in relationships.
Emergency room visits for acute cannabis intoxication have spiked following legalization. Patients arrive dizzy, paranoid, or experiencing rapid heartbeats after consuming high-potency products.
Edibles pose particular risks. Their delayed effects lead users to consume more before feeling the initial dose, resulting in cannabis toxicity.
Treatment rates paint a troubling picture. The percentage of people seeking help for cannabis use disorder dropped from 19% in 2003 to 13% in 2019 in a nationally representative sample, researchers found.
For Feller, addiction meant daily vomiting until she smoked. “I would wake up every morning for years, and until I smoked weed, I would throw up,” she recalled.
She entered treatment at 18 for alcohol, but continued using marijuana. Only at 22 did she address her cannabis addiction, achieving sobriety after years of dependency.
“I’m so much happier now,” Feller said. “I don’t feel, like, shackled to a substance.”
Health experts emphasize that marijuana, like alcohol, carries addiction risks. Frequent use can impair memory, learning, and attention while causing chronic nausea and lung problems in smokers.
Dr. Smita Das, a Stanford University addiction psychiatrist, stressed that cannabis addiction is real despite widespread misconceptions. The drug’s acceptance has paradoxically made seeking help more stigmatized.
“If you’re changing your life because of weed, there might be an issue,” Feller added. “There are resources to get help and you are not alone.”
