Identifying people who show symptoms of dependence or experience other acute or chronic problems due to cannabis use is important both in the general population and the clinical setting. In general, all four screening scales included in our review yielded satisfactory measures of reliability and validity. Furthermore, these tests are brief and easy to administer and have been used in a variety of populations. The SDS is a valid and viable instrument for screening cannabis dependence. It may be used as an adjunct to more extensive diagnostic interments. Some progress has been made in the development of short instruments to assess negative consequences of cannabis use other than dependence. Research questions remain with regard to the performance of the instruments in representative population samples and in comparison to broader criteria of cannabis-related problems.
