The odds of cannabis use disorder varied by race/ethnic group. For 12-month and lifetime disorders, odds were lower for Asians/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics than whites, but higher in Native Americans, consistent with the NESARC (17). For blacks, odds of 12-month cannabis use disorders were significantly higher than whites, in contrast to NESARC, in which blacks did not differ from whites. For lifetime cannabis use disorder, the odds did not differ between blacks and whites in NESARC-III, while in NESARC, blacks had significantly lower odds of lifetime cannabis use disorder than whites (17). Thus, the risk in blacks relative to whites has increased over the past decade. This is consistent with notable increases in the prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis use disorders among blacks (29, 53–55). While reasons for this change are unclear, increasing economic disparity between blacks and whites since the 2008 economic recession (56, 57) may have exacerbated neighborhood factors (disorder, violence, visible drug dealing) that increase adolescent marijuana use (58), and may function similarly in adults, an issue warranting investigation. Blacks may also hold different attitudes towards marijuana than whites, possibly viewing it as a natural and therefore safe substance (22). This also warrants investigation.
