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. 2008 Mar;33(3):397-411.
doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.10.001. Epub 2007 Oct 16.

The occurrence of cannabis use disorders and other cannabis-related problems among first-year college students

Kimberly M Caldeira  1 , Amelia M Arria, Kevin E O'Grady, Kathryn B Vincent, Eric D Wish
Affiliations

The occurrence of cannabis use disorders and other cannabis-related problems among first-year college students

Kimberly M Caldeira et al. Addict Behav. 2008 Mar.

Abstract

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.

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