Participants with cannabis use disorders experienced considerable disability across different domains. The level of disability, particularly among those with severe disorders, was consistent with the very frequent cannabis use reported (252.2 and 310.4 days per year among those with 12-month and lifetime severe cannabis use disorders). These disability and use patterns attest to the severity of the disorder, which clearly is not a benign or harmless condition. Further, the disability levels were greater than the corresponding levels associated with alcohol use disorders in NESARC-III (38). Previous research suggests that even after cannabis use disorders remit, disability persists (66). Whether this persistence is mediated by prolonged cognitive impairments associated with early marijuana use (3–5), by aspects of the disorder itself (e.g., particular diagnostic criteria) or other factors warrants investigation.
