Marijuana use disorder symptoms among recent onset marijuana users

Area of Science:

• Addiction Science
• Public Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Recreational marijuana legalization is increasing across U.S. states.
• Public support for marijuana legalization is growing.
• Understanding marijuana use disorder (MUD) symptoms is vital for education and policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the prevalence of MUD symptoms in a national sample of young, recent-onset marijuana users.
• To identify common MUD symptoms in this demographic.
• To explore the relationship between marijuana use frequency and MUD symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
• Analyzed a nationally representative sample of 9,697 individuals aged 12-21.
• Employed logistic regression to assess associations between use frequency and MUD symptoms.

Main Results:

• The most common MUD symptoms reported were tolerance and time spent acquiring, using, or recovering from marijuana.
• Higher marijuana use frequency was positively associated with all MUD symptoms.
• These associations often showed quadratic or cubic trends, with significant increases in symptoms among low-to-moderate frequency users (1-10 days/month).
• Relationships were consistent across age, gender, and ethnicity.

Conclusions:

• Early identification of MUD symptoms in infrequent adolescent and young adult marijuana users is possible.
• Recognizing these symptoms can aid in early intervention for individuals at risk of problematic use.
• Findings support targeted educational and policy interventions.