The ASAM Weekly for September 29, 2026

Adolescent past-year cannabis use trends have remained relatively flat nationally as legalization has spread, but less is known about clinical outcomes such as incident cannabis use disorder (CUD). Researchers evaluated incident CUD case trends among adolescents in California between 2014 and 2020 to assess recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) impact. Incidence of CUD was trending lower between 2014 and 2016 prior to RCL, but post-RCL there was an inflection in the annualized incidence rate, and it started to increase. Notably the increase in incidence trend started after RCL passage, even before implementation of the law. The increasing trend continued after RCL implementation and through 2020. The authors note these findings highlight the importance of monitoring CUD outcomes along with use prevalence to assess public health impacts of cannabis legalization.

Cannabis is an antiemetic, and synthetic cannabinoids, such as nabilone, are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Cannabis is also used for symptom relief by patients with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). Chronic heavy cannabis use is associated with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition characterized by recurrent severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Management of CHS involves supportive care with medications for nausea, intravenous fluids and electrolyte replacement, and long-term cannabis abstinence.

This study examined the association of sleep-disordered breathing and cannabis use among 14,485 individuals. Compared to non-users, non-regular users had increased odds of sleep apnea (OR=1.4) and loud snoring (OR=1.3). Compared to non-regular users, regular users had increased odds of sleep apnea (OR=1.7), loud snoring (OR=1.7), and either sign (OR=1.8). The authors caution that these associations do not prove causality and call for further research using objective measures of sleep-disordered breathing and the effect of various methods of cannabis consumption.

This systematic review synthesized evidence on the association between alcohol-related social media and young people’s alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors. Researchers found that exposure to alcohol-related user-generated content on social media appears to be associated with alcohol use among young people. Subgroup findings suggest these associations may vary across contexts and populations, particularly among younger adolescents and heavy social media users.

Researchers investigated the relationship between ADHD diagnosis and various SUDs using data from around 14,000 individuals. Individuals with ADHD had increased odds for alcohol use disorder (OR=6.2), tobacco dependence (OR=5.2), stimulant use disorder (OR=3.8), cannabis use disorder (OR=3.8), and opioid use disorder (OR=2.7). They were also more likely to have multiple SUDs and earlier age of onset. A polygenic risk score for ADHD was associated with tobacco dependence, cannabis use disorder, and opioid use disorder.

This study evaluated the relationship between population-level supply of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and child removals from homes. Data were analyzed from 2010 to 2019 across counties. While there was no association between all-cause removal rate and average amounts of buprenorphine or methadone, there was a significant negative association between average buprenorphine for OUD and removals due to parental neglect—a 1 mg per capita increase in buprenorphine was associated with a 4.9% decrease in the removal rate.