A new 16-year study from Florida Atlantic University (2003–2019) reveals a troubling trend: while far more Americans now meet the criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), fewer are receiving treatment. In 2003, roughly 19% of people with CUD got help; by 2019, that number had dropped to 13%.

This rise in problematic use tracks with national reports showing that daily marijuana use now outpaces daily alcohol use, with an estimated 18 million Americans using marijuana every day or nearly every day.

A second FAU-linked study (2025) focusing on teens (ages 12–17) found similarly alarming patterns. Among more than 40,000 adolescents treated for CUD between 2018–2021, only 35% completed treatment. Many began using cannabis between ages 12 and 14, often alongside other mental-health or substance-use disorders — factors that make addiction harder to overcome.

Why Early Use Is So Dangerous

The brain continues developing until about age 25. The prefrontal cortex — responsible for judgment, impulse control, decision-making, and long-term planning — is the last region to fully mature.

High-potency THC products directly disrupt this developmental process by interfering with the endocannabinoid system, which regulates neural pruning and connectivity. Heavy or frequent use during adolescence can lead to:

• Reduced gray-matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala
• 6–8 point declines in IQ for early-onset users
• Impaired memory, slower processing speed, and reduced attention
• Increased risk of psychosis (especially in vulnerable individuals)
• Lower educational and occupational outcomes

Public-health organizations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC, and WHO agree: regular cannabis use before age 25 carries significant long-term risks.

A Glimmer of Good News

Despite these troubling findings, FAU researchers did identify one encouraging trend: self-reported marijuana use among high-school students has declined in recent years. But among adults — especially heavy, near-daily users — the risks and the treatment gap are growing.

Watch this segment from Fox News’ Special Report regarding the troubling trend of drug use:

Chronic pot tied to a medical disorder

We warned Illinois long before so-called “medical” marijuana was legalized in 2013. Now, after greenlighting recreational pot in 2020, the headlines are proving us right: high-potency THC products are creating exactly the problems we predicted.

The health establishment is finally catching up: what had been a mysterious pattern of chronic vomiting among long-term marijuana users has now been officially classified — Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).

What that means:

• As of October 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) added CHS to its diagnostic manual, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. has adopted that coding. This means that CHS is now formally on the books as a serious health issue. One that can be prevented.

• The symptoms are brutal and paradoxical. Instead of the anti-nausea effects many associate with cannabis, CHS triggers persistent nausea, recurring vomiting, severe abdominal pain, weight loss, and appetite loss — often beginning within 24 hours of the last use. It is often referred to as “scromiting,” because it is a combination of intense, painful episodes of “screaming” and “vomiting.”

• For some users it’s devastating, leading to repeated ER visits, misdiagnoses (it often gets mistaken for food poisoning or “stomach flu”), and even serious complications: heart-rhythm problems, kidney failure, seizures, and in rare cases death.

Why it matters

This isn’t just about pot being “a little risky.” What was once dismissed as odd side-effects or isolated problems is now recognized as a bona fide disorder. That changes the conversation: chronic marijuana use isn’t benign and for many, it could lead to serious, recurring illness and addiction. As legalization spreads and high-potency products flourish, we should expect more cases. Indeed, emergency department admissions for this syndrome reportedly surged during the pandemic.

Bottom line

For parents, grandparents, pastors, and every civic-minded citizen who cares about strong families and safe communities, CHS is yet another reminder that the Lord’s commands are for our protection, not our restriction. Scripture repeatedly calls us to “be sober-minded” (1 Peter 1:13; 5:8) and to live as children of the day, not of the darkness, “keeping awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6–8). When we ignore God’s design and embrace substances that intoxicate, we shouldn’t be surprised when the consequences are painful and destructive.

Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome is an unmistakable object lesson: chronic marijuana use—especially among young people—carries real, lasting harm. And the only known “cure” is simple and Biblical—stop using pot altogether.