Falling Rates of Marijuana Dependence Among Heavy Users

Introduction Marijuana use has become increasingly popular in the United States since the turn of the century, and typical use patterns among current marijuana users have intensified, raising concerns for an increase in cannabis use disorders (CUDs). Yet the population prevalence of CUDs has mostly remained flat. We analyzed trends in DSM-IV marijuana dependence among Daily/Near-Daily (DND) users, both overall and by age and gender, and considered potential explanations. Methods Using data assembled from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2002-2016), rates of self-reported dependence and constituent symptoms are calculated for DND marijuana users; logistic regressions with pre- and post- periods (2002-2004, 2014-2016) are applied to describe temporal changes. Results Dependence among DND users fell by 39% (26.5%-16.1%; p