What is the prevalence and risk of cannabis use disorders among people who use cannabis? a systematic review and meta-analysis

Summary & key facts

This paper looked at many studies to find how common cannabis use disorder is among people who use cannabis. The researchers combined results and found that rates varied a lot depending on who was studied and how ‘disorder’ was measured. Overall, a noticeable minority of people who use cannabis meet clinical criteria for a cannabis use disorder, and the risk is higher for people who use daily and for people who start using when they are young. The studies differed in methods, so the exact numbers are uncertain.

Key facts:

• The authors reviewed and combined results from many studies that measured cannabis use disorder in people who use cannabis.
• Rates of cannabis use disorder varied widely across studies, partly because researchers used different definitions and looked at different groups of people.
• When results were pooled, a meaningful minority of people who used cannabis met criteria for a cannabis use disorder.
• People who used cannabis daily had substantially higher chances of meeting criteria for a cannabis use disorder than people who used less often.
• Starting cannabis use at a younger age was linked with a higher risk of later meeting criteria for a cannabis use disorder.
• The paper highlights that differences in study methods and in how disorder is defined limit how precisely we can state a single risk number for all users.

Topics

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Biochemistry Biology Cannabidiol Cannabis Cannabis Dependence Cohort Cohort study Demography Effects of cannabis Environmental health Epidemiology Internal medicine Medicine MEDLINE Meta-analysis Population Psychiatry Sociology Systematic review

Substances

Cannabis

Conditions & symptoms

Addiction Substance abuse disorder Addiction or harmful habbits