{"id":145413,"date":"2026-05-19T03:12:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T03:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/treatment-delays-are-increasing-among-adolescents-with-cannabis-use-disorder\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T03:13:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T03:13:25","slug":"treatment-delays-are-increasing-among-adolescents-with-cannabis-use-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/treatment-delays-are-increasing-among-adolescents-with-cannabis-use-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"Treatment delays are increasing among adolescents with cannabis use disorder."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Teens may turn to marijuana use for a variety of reasons: curiosity, stress relief, peer pressure, mental health help, or for the positive feelings of being “high.” However, there is a difference between casual use and dependence on cannabis for functioning. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is the persistent use of and dependence on marijuana despite causing physical or social harm.<\/p>\n

Despite well-documented health effects, treatment is not easy to obtain, especially for youth. Research by Panagiota Kitsantas found that nearly one in three teens with CUD experienced delays in getting much-needed care.<\/p>\n

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There are continuing and increasing obstacles to timely treatment. There are variations in speed of access across referral processes, which suggests that system-level improvements are needed.”<\/p>\n


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Panagiota Kitsantas, Professor and Interim Chair of the College of Public Health’s Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP)<\/p>\n

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Hong Xue, associate professor in the HAP department, was one of the study’s co-authors.<\/p>\n

Kitsantas’ newly published research addresses key research gaps in the patterns and predictors of treatment delay among American adolescents with CUD. Specifically, young adolescents, males, white non-Hispanic youth, and those living in residential rehabilitation and outpatient settings experienced greater delays.<\/p>\n

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Why does it matter?<\/h2>\n

Despite a decline in treatment delays between 2012 and 2018, rates of treatment delays among youth have steadily increased since then.<\/p>\n

For young people, cannabis use can have negative effects on brain development, thinking, memory, problem-solving, learning, coordination and attention. Cannabis use in adolescence is associated with poor academic performance, including increased risk of dropping out of school and lower likelihood of achieving higher education.<\/p>\n

Immersion in research<\/h2>\n

Kitsantas and the research team identified important findings about CUD treatment and youth:<\/p>\n