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January 18, 2002

Marijuana Treatment Admissions Increase: 1993-1999

In Brief
  • Marijuana treatment admission rates increased in 41 States between 1993 and 1999

  • States reporting 102 admissions or less per 100,000 persons aged 12 or older fell from 91 percent in 1993 to 39 percent in 1999
 
In 1999, the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) recorded more than 220,000 admissions for primary marijuana abuse to publicly funded substance abuse treatment. These represented 14 percent of the 1.6 million admissions for alcohol or drug treatment in these facilities, an increase from 7 percent in 1993.

About one third of TEDS marijuana admissions from 1993 to 1999 were aged 12 to 17, and another one third were aged 18 to 25. The criminal justice system was a major factor in treatment entry—57 percent of admissions for treatment of marijuana abuse were the result of a judicial process in 1999 compared with 48 percent in 1993.

For this report, TEDS data were used to calculate marijuana treatment admission rates per 100,000 persons aged 12 or older for each State. Marijuana admission rates more than doubled between 1993 and 1999 in about half of reporting States and increased in all but a few States.
Figure 1. Marijuana Admission Rates per 100,000 Population Aged 12 or Older: 1993, 1996, 1999*




Marijuana Treatment Admission Rates: 1993
In 1993, the treatment admission rate for primary marijuana abuse in the United States was 55 admissions per 100,000 persons aged 12 or older. Three States had rates of 117 per 100,000 or more, and 91 percent of reporting States had rates of 102 per 100,000 or less. 

 

Marijuana Treatment Admission Rates: 1996
By 1996, the admission rate for primary marijuana abuse in the United States had increased by 65 percent to 91 per 100,000 persons aged 12 or older. Eighteen States had rates of 117 per 100,000 or more.



Marijuana Treatment Admission Rates: 1999
By 1999, the admission rate for primary marijuana abuse in the United States had increased another 13 percent to 103 per 100,000 persons aged 12 or older. The proportion of reporting States with 102 admissions per 100,000 or less had fallen to 39 percent from 91 percent in 1993.
1993

1996

1999

Admissions per 100,000 Aged 12 or Older

Source: 1999 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).

Figure 2. Changes in Marijuana Treatment Admission Rates: 1993-1999

Changes in Marijuana Treatment Admission Rates: 1993 to 1999
Marijuana admission rates increased between 1993 and 1999 in all but a few States. Rates increased by 150 percent or more in 10 States and by 100 to 149 percent in another 8 States. Some States with high rates in 1993 had small percentage increases (e.g., Alaska) or even decreases (e.g., Kansas).

Percent Change

Source: 1999 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).
Table 1. States with Large Percentage Changes in Marijuana Treatment Admission Rates, by Percent Change: 1993-1999
Figure Notes:
*The map categories are based on the median, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the range of 1994 marijuana treatment admission rates. Dark blue indicates States with rates at or above the level of the 1994 90th percentile (i.e., 117 admissions per 100,000 population aged 12 or older); medium blue indicates rates from the 1994 75th to 89th percentiles; light blue indicates rates from the 1994 50th to 74th percentiles; and white indicates States with rates below the median 1994 admission rate (i.e., 65 admissions per 100,000 population aged 12 or older). Crosshatching indicates States for which data were incomplete or not submitted for a given year.

The Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) is an integrated data system maintained by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). One component of DASIS is the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), a national-level dataset comprising State administrative data from treatment facilities receiving public funds. The TEDS system includes records for some 1.6 million substance abuse treatment admissions annually. TEDS records represent admissions rather than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than once.

The DASIS Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA; Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; and RTI, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Information and data for this issue are based on data reported to TEDS through April 16, 2001.

Access the latest TEDS reports at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov

Access the latest TEDS public use files at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/samhda.htm
Marijuana Admissions per 100,000 Aged 12 or Older Percent Change
1993 1996 1999 1993-1999
United States 54.6 91.1 102.6 88
Delaware 24.0 46.0 135.2 464
Indiana 37.0 41.3 142.0 283
Iowa 65.0 371.8 238.1 266
Missouri 58.0 110.8 202.0 248
Ohio 58.3 162.6 186.3 220
Alabama 42.7 74.9 126.5 196
South Carolina 39.9 99.5 117.9 195
Washington 68.0 142.6 187.8 176
Wyoming 62.4 n/a 171.6 175
Idaho 72.8 159.9 197.4 171
Illinois 32.9 42.0 81.1 146
Arkansas 50.9 97.7 120.6 137
Minnesota 82.8 161.8 193.2 133
Louisiana 44.9 65.6 103.9 132
North Dakota 29.3 49.3 67.6 130
n/a:  Data not available

Source: 1999 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).

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This page was last updated on December 31, 2008.