Problems With Daily Cannabis Use?
By Tom Horvath, PhD
It has been difficult to study cannabis use because of its legal status. Even if allowed in specific states, because of federal law most researchers would be reluctant to keep cannabis in their labs. So not much progress has been made on establishing standard doses and studying the effects of those doses using different routes of administration. This foundational work is necessary for drawing accurate conclusions about daily (or any other kind of use). This article focuses on daily use because it has been significant getting media coverage lately.
There are numerous adults in the United States who began cannabis use decades ago and have continued with it. That use has often been in the hope of addressing anxiety, pain, or sleep problems. There are many anecdotal reports of cannabis being helpful, and many problems reported also. But it is not just older adults who use cannabis regularly. The Monitoring the Future study (latest data, 2024) has found high levels of cannabis use and vaping cannabis, and also vaping nicotine, nicotine pouches, and psychedelics. For cannabis specifically (p. 29):
- Cannabis: Cannabis use (past 12-month, past 30-day, and daily use) in 2024 remained near or at the recent highest levels ever recorded among young adults, all with significant increases across the past five and ten years…
- Vaping cannabis: Vaping cannabis (past 12-month and past 30-day) reached the highest levels ever recorded in 2024, with prevalence in the past year doubling since it was first measured in 2017…
Significant use of any substance will lead to problems for some. For cannabis, problems can include cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, increased risk of psychotic episodes (especially if one is younger), greater risk of heart disease, increased pain over the long-term, and possible sleep problems. For younger users, there is also the question of whether cannabis interferes with brain development. As with many psychoactive substances, there is a seductive period at the beginning when the substance works very well. However, over time there can be diminishing results. Eventually the problems you were addressing with the substance can be worse than when you began.
A classic example of this experience of “it takes away what it gave you at first” is stimulants. At the beginning, methamphetamine or cocaine can substantially boost energy level. However, over time, the stimulant user can become almost completely exhausted, and in severe cases unable to make any substantial effort unless on the substance. A similar example is opiates. For a few days, to up to 3 months, depending on the specific condition, opiates are very effective for treating pain. When used longer opiates can make you more sensitive to pain and leave you worse off.
So, if you are using cannabis to “treat” specific symptoms, that now seem to be getting worse, you might consider the possibility that the short-term positive effect of cannabis (or any substance) has now turned into a long-term negative effect.
For now, much remains to be learned about cannabis. As with any substance, smaller doses (a deliberately vague term) used occasionally (also a deliberately vague term) may enhance your life and cause minimal problems. With higher quantity and frequency, costs may exceed benefits. If the levels of cannabis use we are seeing now in younger people persist, we may soon be seeing even more examples of cannabis overuse.
Liked this article about daily cannabis use? You might also be interested in: A Standard for Cannabis Moderation.
https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mtfpanel2025.pdf
