In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), cannabis abuse and dependence are defined as maladaptive patterns of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least one of four abuse symptoms criteria or three of six dependence symptom criteria, respectively. As noted by Saha and his colleagues (2007), despite the central role of consumption in the DSM-IV classification of cannabis disorders, no specific pattern of cannabis use is defined nor do maladaptive patterns of cannabis use appear as diagnostic criteria for either disorder in the DSM-IV. For the most part, research on cannabis use disorders has ignored the actual use of the substance.
