The Dasis Report (Drug and Alcohol Services Information System)
March 28, 2003

Adult Marijuana Admissions by Race and Ethnicity: 2000
In Brief
  • In 2000, among the 1.5 million adult (18 or older) substance abuse admissions, 154,400 were admitted as primary marijuana abusers

  • A majority of these adult marijuana admissions were White (54 percent), followed by Black (30 percent)

  • Adult marijuana admissions by sex and age were largely similar across racial/ethnic categories, with higher rates for males and for the youngest age category, 18 to 24 year olds


Marijuana was the primary substance of abuse for 154,400 of the 1.5 million adult admissions reported to the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) in 2000. Admissions aged 18 or older, labeled “adults” in this report, made up 92 percent of all substance abuse treatment admissions. Marijuana was the primary substance of abuse for 11 percent of adult admissions compared with 61 percent of youth admissions. 1 For all adult admissions, the proportion with marijuana as a primary substance declined as age category increased.

TEDS is an annual compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance abuse treatment. The information comes primarily from facilities that receive some public funding. TEDS records represent admissions rather than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than once.

White
In 2000, Whites comprised 70 percent of the U.S. population.2 During the same time period, 59 percent of all adult treatment admissions and 54 percent of adult marijuana admissions involved Whites (Figure 1).

White adult marijuana admissions were 74 percent male and 26 percent female (Figure 2).

Those aged 18 to 24 at admission represented the largest age category (49 percent) of White adult marijuana admissions, followed by the 25 to 34 year olds (29 percent), 35 to 44 year olds (18 percent), and those 45 or older (4 percent).

Figure 1. Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Race/Ethnicity: 2000 Figure 2. White Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Figure 1. Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Race/Ethnicity: 2000
Figure 2. White Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Source: 2000 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).


Black
Blacks comprised 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2000,2 but 24 percent of all adult treatment admissions and 30 percent of adult marijuana admissions (Figure 1). About 13 percent of all Black adult treatment admissions were for marijuana, higher than the proportion for other racial/ethnic groups.

Black adult marijuana admissions were 76 percent male and 24 percent female (Figure 3). Admissions aged 18 to 24 represented the largest age category among Black adult marijuana admissions (48 percent), followed by admissions aged 25 to 34 (34 percent), those aged 35 to 44 (14 percent), and those 45 or older (4 percent).

Figure 3. Black Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Figure 3. Black Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Source: 2000 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).


Hispanic
Hispanics comprised 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2000. 2 Hispanics were responsible for 12 percent of all adult treatment admissions and 9 percent of adult marijuana admissions (Figure 1). About 9 percent of all Hispanic adult treatment admissions were for marijuana, lower than the proportion for other racial/ethnic groups.

Hispanic adult marijuana admissions were 79 percent male and 21 percent female (Figure 4). The age distribution of adult marijuana admissions involving Hispanics was similar to that of White and Black admissions, but Hispanics had the highest proportion of young adults aged 18 to 24 of all the racial/ethnic groups (56 percent).

Figure 4. Hispanic Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Figure 4. Hispanic Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Source: 2000 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).


Asian and Pacific Islander
Asians and Pacific Islanders comprised 4 percent of the U.S. population in 2000. 2 This group accounted for 1 percent of adult substance abuse admissions and 1 percent of adult marijuana admissions (Figure 1).

Asian and Pacific Islander adult marijuana admissions were 79 percent male and 21 percent female (Figure 5). The age distribution of marijuana admissions involving Asians and Pacific Islanders was similar to that of other racial/ethnic groups.

Figure 5. Asian and Pacific Islander Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Figure 5. Asian and Pacific Islander Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Source: 2000 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).


American Indian and Alaska Native
American Indians and Alaska Natives comprised 1 percent of the U.S. population in 2000.2 They accounted for 2 percent of all adult treatment admissions and 2 percent of adult marijuana admissions (Figure 1).

American Indian and Alaska Native adult marijuana admissions were 69 percent male and 31 percent female (the highest female proportion of any racial/ethnic group) (Figure 6). The age distribution of adult marijuana admissions involving American Indians and Alaska Natives was similar to that of other racial/ethnic groups.

Figure 6. American Indian and Alaska Native Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Figure 6. American Indian and Alaska Native Adult Marijuana Admissions, by Age and Sex: 2000
Source: 2000 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).


End Notes
1This report presents data by race/ethnicity, age, and sex, in a way similar to that in SAMHSA’s The DASIS Report. Youth Marijuana Admissions by Race and Ethnicity (2002, August 9). However, age groups in the two reports are overlapping.

2U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. (2000). Census 2000 Summary File 2 (SF2) 100 Percent Data. Available from the U.S. Census Bureau web site, http://factfinder.census.gov



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). TEDS is a compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance abuse treatment. The information comes primarily from facilities that receive some public funding. Information on treatment admissions is routinely collected by State administrative systems and then submitted to SAMHSA in a standard format. Approximately 1.6 million records are included in TEDS each year. 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 1, 2002.

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

Access the latest TEDS public use files at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/SAMHDA.htm

Other substance abuse reports are available at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
The DASIS Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated.

This page was last updated on December 30, 2008.