Study finds more teens with cannabis use disorder are waiting longer for treatment as federal reclassification talks continue

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that more U.S. teenagers seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder are facing longer waits before they are admitted for care, according to an analysis of national treatment data. The research, published July 15, comes as federal officials consider whether marijuana should be reclassified under federal drug law, a policy shift that could affect how the condition is handled by health and justice systems.

The paper analyzed national data covering more than 124,000 adolescents who sought treatment for cannabis use disorder. It reports that nearly 34% of adolescents seeking treatment in 2022 experienced an admission delay, meaning they were not admitted at the time they presented for services. The study characterizes the trend as a sign of capacity and access problems in the treatment system for youth.

The findings highlight the time gap between when a family seeks help and when a teen can actually begin treatment, a difference that can matter for public health and for families trying to stabilize school attendance, home routines, and recovery supports. The report’s focus on admission delays also points to the operational factors that determine whether youths can be placed quickly, such as staffing, referral patterns, and the availability of adolescent-focused programs.

The study comes amid federal discussions about marijuana’s status under the Controlled Substances Act. The Kentucky Lantern report says federal officials are considering whether to reclassify marijuana, a process that could change federal oversight and enforcement posture and, depending on how the policy is implemented, could influence how clinicians and treatment systems navigate eligibility, coverage, and regulatory requirements.

While the paper’s data is national, the issues it describes are likely to affect Kentucky families that rely on the same broader pool of adolescent mental health and substance use services, including specialized treatment programs and community providers that coordinate intake and placement. The report does not break out wait times by state in the account provided, so Kentucky-specific delay rates cannot be determined from the study summary alone.

The practical next step after a national findings release is continued scrutiny of treatment delivery timelines, including how systems measure delays and what interventions reduce them. For federal policymakers, the study adds to the body of evidence about whether reforms to marijuana’s legal status are accompanied by improvements in timely access to care, especially for minors.

For families and providers, the immediate takeaway is that seeking help may not guarantee rapid admission, and that placement delays can persist even when demand increases. Continued monitoring, including state-by-state reporting where available, will determine whether capacity expands, intake processes improve, and adolescents can begin care sooner after their first contact with the system.