Marijuana use disorder symptoms among recent onset marijuana users

- The most frequently reported marijuana use symptoms among adolescents and young adults were “tolerance”, and “time spent in activities necessary to obtain marijuana or recover from its effect”.
- Logistic regression analyses indicated an expected positive association between marijuana use frequency and each marijuana use disorder symptom.
- In many cases greater increases were seen between rates among low and moderate frequency marijuana users than among those using at a higher frequency.
- Relationships between marijuana use frequency and marijuana use symptoms were largely consistent according to age, gender and ethnicity.

BackgroundWith recreational marijuana having recently been legalized in a growing number of U.S. states, as well as the increasing support for its legalization among substantial segments of the American public, an understanding of the development of symptoms associated with marijuana use disorders will assist in guiding both education and policy.MethodsThis study examined the prevalence of marijuana use disorder symptoms among a nationally representative sample of recent onset marijuana users ages 12-21 drawn from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (N = 9697).ResultsThe most frequently reported marijuana use symptoms were “tolerance”, and “time occupied acquiring, using or recovering from the effects of marijuana”. Logistic regression analyses indicated an expected positive association between marijuana use frequency and each marijuana use disorder symptom. In many cases the positive trend was quadratic or cubic, with greater increases between rates among low and moderate frequency marijuana users (i.e. 1-10 days per month) than among those using at a higher frequency (i.e. > 10 days per month). Relationships between marijuana use frequency and marijuana use symptoms were largely consistent according to age, gender and ethnicity.ConclusionsRecognizing symptoms of marijuana use disorders among adolescents and young adults using marijuana infrequently may assist in early identification and intervention for those at risk for problem use.