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Chapter 4 - The Epidemiology of Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder

from Part II - The Changing Face of Cannabis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2023

By
Deborah Hasin
Edited by
Deepak Cyril D'Souza ,
David Castle  and
Sir Robin Murray
Deepak Cyril D'Souza
Affiliation:
Staff Psychiatrist, VA Connecticut Healthcare System; Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
David Castle
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Sir Robin Murray
Affiliation:
Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychosis Service at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust; Professor of Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry
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Summary

Cannabis is among the most widely-used substances worldwide. Because cannabis use can incur some harms to health, understanding the prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder in the general population and how this has changed over time is an important public health priority. The prevalence of cannabis use varies widely across countries, demographic characteristics, and time. However, prevalence is consistently highest among young adults. Rates are generally higher in males, although this may be changing in younger US cohorts. Across regions, prevalence rates of past-year cannabis use were lowest in Asian countries and some countries in Central and South America, and intermediate in Australia, New Zealand, and many European countries. Highest prevalences and greatest increases over time were found in adult participants in recent surveys in North America, including the United States and Canada, where public perception of risk in cannabis use is decreasing. Cannabis use disorder is defined by the same criteria that are used to define other substance use disorders. The risk of cannabis use disorder among adult cannabis users is now much higher than it was in the early 1990s, ranging from 20–33% of users, depending on their frequency of use.

Keywords

cannabismarijuanacannabis use disorderepidemiologysubstance use
Type
Chapter
Information
Marijuana and Madness , pp. 31 - 42
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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