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Marijuana Use Disorder Affects 6 Percent of Adults

Despite popular belief, it is possible to become addicted to marijuana. In fact, 2.5 percent of American adults have experienced marijuana use disorder just within the last year. Over 6 percent of adults have also experienced this at some point in their lives.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, although many people are diagnosed with a marijuana use disorder, not many receive treatment. The study was led by scientists at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA),

The scientists on the study analyzed data from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, done by the NIAAA. This is a survey on alcohol use, drug use and co-occurring disorders. They found that marijuana use disorder is twice as common in men as it is in women, and younger people are more prone to this disorder than the people over the age of 45. Furthermore, only 14 percent of the people diagnosed with the disorder in the past year will receive treatment.

 

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