Quantitative Criteria to Screen for Cannabis Use Disorder

Area of Science:

• Addiction research
• Cannabinoid pharmacology
• Public health

Background:

• The Standard Joint Unit (SJU) standardizes cannabis measurement (1 SJU = 7 mg 9-THC).
• Exploring risky cannabis use patterns is crucial for public health.
• Cannabis use disorder (CUD) poses significant health challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a preliminary quantitative cutoff criterion for screening cannabis use disorder (CUD).
• To establish a reliable screening tool based on Standard Joint Units (SJU) and frequency of use.

Main Methods:

• Collected socio-demographic data, cannabis quantities, and frequency of use from 473 cannabis users.
• Utilized the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) to assess CUD risk.
• Performed Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine a quantitative cutoff for CUD risk.

Main Results:

• 82.5% of participants consumed cannabis almost daily, with an average of 4 joints per smoking day.
• CUD risk significantly increased with higher frequency and quantity of cannabis consumption.
• ROC analysis indicated 1.2 SJU per day as a potential cutoff for moderate CUD risk (sensitivity 69.4%, specificity 63.6%).

Conclusions:

• Cannabis risk assessment should integrate frequency and quantity of use.
• A preliminary quantitative criterion of 1 SJU per day is proposed for screening moderate CUD risk.
• This SJU-based criterion offers a simplified approach to identifying at-risk cannabis users.