As cannabis consumption continues to increase throughout the United States, the body of data concerning its physiological consequences also steadily grows. While the acute effects of cannabis are well documented, the long-term effects of use are slowly being developed, with many studies finding potential physical and psychological harms being associated with the substance. These may include respiratory injury, cardiovascular arrhythmias, depression and even psychosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) includes entries for cannabis use disorder (CUD), and a variety of treatment interventions are evolving to accommodate the expanding literature concerning the respective diagnosis. This study aims to investigate the validity and utility of a novel, self-report-based measure (named the Self-Reported Symptoms of Cannabis Use Disorder or “SRSCUD”) that may aid in diagnosing and treating cannabis use disorder.
The study’s sample consists of 2077 undergraduate students from nine universities all in different states with varying degrees of cannabis legalization (illicit, medically permitted, or legal). Participants completed the SRSCUD, in addition to a survey containing established cannabis use measures to compare validity of the SRSCUD to the vetted measures. The SRSCUD is a 13-item, past-month, self-report cannabis use instrument derived from criteria of CUD found in the DSM-5. The following separate and established cannabis use measures were assessed in the participant survey: use and dependence severity (via either Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test, Severity of Dependence Scale, or Cannabis Abuse Screening Test; participants randomly assigned in accordance with planned missingness design), past-month use (via Marijuana Use Grid), cannabis consequences (via Brief-Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire), and use of protective risk factors (via Protective Behavioral Strategies for Marijuana Scale). Factor, reliability, and validity analysis were completed using maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard errors, oblique geomin rotation, and bivariate correlations.
Results of the various forms of analysis found the SRSCUD to be overall acceptable. Factor analysis revealed validity, and scalar invariance was found in participant groupings. Comparisons between the SRSCUD and established measures revealed the SRSCUD’s measures to be closely correlated with that of the established items in the survey battery.
Takeaway: the SRSCUD may provide a reliable self-report measure which could aid in the diagnosis and treatment of cannabis use disorder in undergraduate-aged adults.