Mortality following treatment for cannabis use disorders: Predictors and causes

Mikkel Arendt, MSc, PhD a, b,⁎, Povl Munk-Jørgensen, DMSc a, Leo Sher, MD b, Signe Olrik Wallenstein Jensen, MSc a

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit substance in the world with lifetime use reported by almost half of young adults (15– 34 years) in the United States, Australia, and Canada, and 32% in the European Union (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs, Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) [EMCDDA], 2011; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (SAMHSA), 2008).

It is estimated that 9% of those who use cannabis become dependent (Anthony, Warner, & Kessler, 1994). Among people seeking sub- stance abuse treatment for the first time in Europe, the proportion of those who reported cannabis as the main problem increased by 40% between 2004 and 2009 (EMCDDA, 2011)