The occurrence of cannabis use disorders and other cannabis-related problems among first-year college students.
This study reports the prevalence of cannabis use disorders (CUD) and other cannabis-related problems in a large cohort (n=1253) of first-year college students, 17 to 20 years old, at one large public university in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Interviewers assessed past-year cannabis use, other drug use, and cannabis-related problems (including DSM-IV criteria for CUD). The prevalence of CUD was 9.4%(wt) among all first-year students and 24.6% among past-year cannabis users (n=739). Of those endorsing any CUD criteria, 33.8% could be classified as diagnostic orphans. Among 474 "at-risk" cannabis users (>or= 5 times in the past year), concentration problems (40.1%), driving while high (18.6%) and missing class (13.9%) were among the most prevalent cannabis-related problems, even among those who endorsed no CUD criteria. Placing oneself at risk for physical injury was also commonly reported (24.3%). A significant proportion of cannabis-using college students meet diagnostic criteria for disorder. Even in the absence of disorder, users appear to be at risk for potentially serious cannabis-related problems. Implications for prevention, service delivery, and future research are discussed.
Caldeira
Kimberly M
KM
University of Maryland College Park, Center for Substance Abuse Research, 4321 Hartwick Road, Suite 501, College Park, MD 20740, USA. kcaldeira@cesar.umd.edu
Arria
Amelia M
AM
O'Grady
Kevin E
KE
Vincent
Kathryn B
KB
Wish
Eric D
ED
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities