Before you begin: This self-assessment is not a diagnosis. Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose Cannabis Use Disorder. What this tool can do is help you reflect honestly on your patterns and give you language for a conversation with a professional if you choose to have one.
DSM-5 Cannabis Use Disorder Screening
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) identifies eleven criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder. These are the same criteria that clinicians use. Read each question carefully and answer based on your experience over the past 12 months.
There are no right or wrong answers. This is between you and yourself.
Part 1: The DSM-5 Criteria
For each question, consider whether this has been true for you in the past year.
1. Using more than intended
Have you used cannabis in larger amounts or for longer periods than you originally planned? For example, you intended to have one hit but finished the whole bowl, or you planned to use only on weekends but found yourself using most days.
2. Difficulty cutting down
Have you wanted to cut back or stop using cannabis, or tried to, but found it difficult? This includes times you set rules for yourself ("only after 8 PM," "only on weekends") that you repeatedly broke.
3. Significant time spent
Do you spend a lot of time obtaining cannabis, using it, or recovering from its effects? This might mean spending hours high when you had other things to do, or losing mornings to grogginess after heavy evening use.
4. Cravings
Have you experienced strong urges or cravings to use cannabis? This could be a persistent thought that you need to use, a restless feeling that eases only when you use, or difficulty concentrating because you are thinking about using.
5. Failing to meet obligations
Has your cannabis use led to problems at work, school, or home? Examples include missing deadlines, calling in sick, neglecting household responsibilities, or letting people down because of your use.
6. Social or relationship problems
Have you continued using cannabis even though it has caused or worsened problems with people in your life? This might include arguments with a partner about your use, losing friendships, or increased conflict with family members.
7. Giving up activities
Have you reduced or stopped participating in social, work, or recreational activities that used to be important to you because of cannabis? For instance, hobbies you no longer do, friends you no longer see, or opportunities you no longer pursue.
8. Using in hazardous situations
Have you used cannabis in situations where it could be physically dangerous? The most common example is driving while high, but this also includes operating machinery, supervising children while impaired, or using in combination with other substances.
9. Continuing despite health problems
Have you continued using cannabis even though you know it is likely causing or worsening a physical or psychological problem? This could include worsening anxiety, depression, chronic cough, memory problems, or other health concerns.
10. Tolerance
Have you found that you need to use noticeably more cannabis to get the same effect you used to get, or that the same amount has much less effect than it once did?
11. Withdrawal
When you have stopped or significantly reduced your cannabis use, have you experienced withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, trouble sleeping, anxiety, decreased appetite, restlessness, depressed mood, or physical discomfort? Or have you used cannabis (or a similar substance) specifically to avoid or relieve these symptoms?
Understanding Your Results
Count the number of questions where you answered "yes." Here is how clinicians interpret the results:
| Criteria Met | Interpretation | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Likely does not meet criteria for CUD | Your use may not be clinically problematic at this time. That said, if something prompted you to take this assessment, it is worth paying attention to that instinct. |
| 2–3 | Mild Cannabis Use Disorder | Your use is beginning to cause recognizable problems. This is often the stage where small changes can make a big difference. Consider exploring the strategies in our goal-setting guide. |
| 4–5 | Moderate Cannabis Use Disorder | Your use is having a meaningful impact on your life. Professional support could be very helpful at this stage. Many people at this level benefit significantly from even a few sessions with a therapist who understands substance use. |
| 6 or more | Severe Cannabis Use Disorder | Your use is significantly affecting multiple areas of your life. This level of CUD typically benefits from professional treatment. Please consider reaching out — you do not have to navigate this alone. See our When to Seek Help page. |
Cannabis use disorder is diagnosed when a person meets two or more of eleven criteria within a 12-month period. Severity is graded as mild (2–3 criteria), moderate (4–5), or severe (6+).
DSM-5 / NCBI StatPearls, "Cannabis Use Disorder" (2025)
Marijuana Anonymous: 12 Questions
Marijuana Anonymous (MA) offers a different kind of self-assessment — less clinical, more personal. These twelve questions come from people who have lived the experience of cannabis dependence. They are designed to help you look at patterns, not just criteria.
MA suggests that if you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may want to explore whether cannabis is playing a bigger role in your life than you realize.
MA's 12 Questions
1. Has smoking marijuana stopped being fun?
2. Do you ever get high alone?
3. Is it hard for you to imagine a life without marijuana?
4. Do you find that your friends are determined by your marijuana use?
5. Do you use marijuana to avoid dealing with your problems?
6. Do you smoke marijuana to cope with your feelings?
7. Does your marijuana use let you live in a privately defined world?
8. Have you ever failed to keep promises you made about cutting down or controlling your use of marijuana?
9. Has your use of marijuana caused problems with memory, concentration, or motivation?
10. When your stash is nearly empty, do you feel anxious or worried about how to get more?
11. Do you plan your life around your marijuana use?
12. Have friends or relatives ever complained that your marijuana use is damaging your relationship with them?
These questions invite a different kind of honesty. The DSM-5 criteria ask what has happened. MA's questions ask how cannabis feels in your life. Both perspectives are valuable.
Marijuana Anonymous's 12 Questions are designed to help individuals reflect on whether marijuana has become a problem in their lives.
Marijuana Anonymous
What Now?
If this assessment raised concerns for you, that awareness is the first step. Here are some paths forward:
- If you scored 0–1 but still feel uneasy: Trust that feeling. Not everyone who benefits from change meets clinical criteria. Explore our Signs to Watch For page for patterns that may resonate.
- If you scored 2–3 (mild): This is an excellent time to make changes. Our Quit or Cut Back guide can help you decide what approach is right for you.
- If you scored 4+ (moderate to severe): Professional support can make a significant difference. Our When to Seek Professional Help page will walk you through your options and address common barriers to getting help.
Taking this assessment took honesty and courage. Whatever your results, the fact that you are reflecting on your relationship with cannabis means you are already thinking about your wellbeing. That matters, and it is something to feel good about.