NESARC-III findings of increased rates of cannabis use disorder (29) are inconsistent with the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which found stable prevalence of cannabis use disorder between 2002 and 2013 (77). However, the NESARC-III findings are consistent with other national indicators of increases in cannabis use disorders (27) and other serious cannabis-related problems, e.g., emergency room visits, fatal car crashes (11, 30). These increases are consistent with a changing landscape of increasingly permissive marijuana attitudes and laws. Changing laws may benefit society by reducing the harms of socially patterned drug arrests (78). However, the laws may affect public health adversely by leading to more marijuana users, including some vulnerable to cannabis use disorders. Continued surveillance of these trends is needed to monitor the balance of social costs and benefits, and treatment needs.
