Heavy or chronic cannabis use (CU) is associated with a wide range of health-related conditions, such as motor vehicle injuries, cognitive impairment, chronic bronchitis symptoms, cardiovascular diseases, or psychotic symptoms, that can result in healthcare use (Jouanjus et al., 2014; Volkow et al., 2014). Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is the most prevalent illicit drug use disorder in the United States. An estimated 4.2 million Americans aged ≥12 years had a CUD in the past year–representing an estimated 59% of individuals aged ≥12 years with a past-year illicit drug use disorder (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality [CBHSQ], 2015). To date, 24 states and Washington DC have medical cannabis, four states have legalized recreational CU, and another six states have legislation pending. As the wave of state-specific policies on cannabis legalization continues to spread across the nation, they could have unintended consequences (e.g., an increase in supply or use-related problems) with lasting implications for the health and social systems; Volkow et al., 2014, 2016). This study seeks to leverage national survey datasets to understand recent/active CUD among racial/ethnic groups to inform surveillance and intervention efforts.
