title: Pothead or pot smoker? A taxometric investigation of cannabis dependence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taxometric methods were used to discern the latent structure of cannabis dependence. Such methods help determine if a construct is categorical or dimensional. Taxometric analyses (MAXEIG and MAMBAC) were conducted on data from 1,474 cannabis-using respondents to the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Respondents answered questions assessing DSM-IV criteria for cannabis dependence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both taxometric methods provided support for a dimensional structure of cannabis dependence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the MAMBAC results were not entirely unequivocal, the majority of evidence favored a dimensional structure of cannabis dependence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, SGM 501, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061, USA. denson@usc.edu
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Denson
authors.forename: Mitch
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Earleywine
mesh_terms: D002188:Cannabis; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000145:classification*; D008385:Marijuana Smoking; D015233:Models, Statistical