{"id":48531,"date":"2019-11-08T18:41:53","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T18:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/cannabis-use-disorder-is-declining-among-daily-weed-users-new-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2019-11-08T18:41:53","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T18:41:53","slug":"cannabis-use-disorder-is-declining-among-daily-weed-users-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/news\/cannabis-use-disorder-is-declining-among-daily-weed-users-new-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis Use Disorder Is Declining Among Daily Weed Users, New Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rate of cannabis use disorder<\/u><\/a> (CUD) among frequent marijuana consumers has dropped significantly<\/u><\/a> over the past two decades, according to researchers from Columbia University\u2019s Mailman School of Public Health.<\/p>\n

Although cannabis is not physically addictive, a small percentage of users can still struggle with dependency issues<\/u><\/a>, which falls under the classification of CUD. Individuals who are unable to control the amount of pot they consume, struggle to cut down their weed use, or find themselves unable to fulfill major life obligations on account of being too high could be diagnosed<\/u><\/a> as suffering from CUD. This diagnosis could also apply to people who feel that their cannabis use is causing social or interpersonal problems with their friends, family, or co-workers.<\/p>\n

In a new study<\/u><\/a> published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence<\/em> journal, the authors note that the number of people diagnosed with CUD has been declining between 2002 and 2016. The researchers hypothesized that this reduction only accounted for occasional pot users, and not heavy users. \u201cWe expected that CUD prevalence among people reporting daily\/almost daily use would not decrease,\u201d the authors wrote<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

To test their theory, researchers examined data from annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2016. From the pool of respondents, analysts isolated 22,651 people aged 12 and older who said that they had gotten high at least 300 days out of the past year. Researchers searched the data for annual prevalence of CUD, cannabis dependence or abuse, and examined how these trends developed over time.<\/p>\n

After analyzing the data, the research team was surprised to discover that their hypothesis was incorrect. <\/p>\n

Gallery \u2014 Prohibition Doesn’t Work, and These 420-Legends Always Knew It:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n