Determining Risks for Cannabis Use Disorder in the Face of Changing Legal Policies

Purpose of Review
This review aims to summarize and critically evaluate the current literature on the associations between individual and socio-cultural factors that increase risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD), and policy change.

Recent findings
Epidemiological studies show that areas with permissive legal cannabis climates are associated with greater individual risk factors for CUD. This includes (1) higher rates of edible consumption and vaping, (2) higher delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency and lower cannabidiol (CBD) levels, and (3) younger age of initiation of use.

Summary
A change in the socio-cultural level, such as shifts in the legalization of cannabis, could interact with individual-level factors in their associations with CUD. There is currently a lack of empirical studies that evaluate this interaction. We propose that future research consider a bioecological framework for CUD to allow for a comprehensive understanding of the effects of legal climate that could inform policy and clinical practice.