Abuse and dependence criteria were not found to represent different levels of severity of problem cannabis use in any of the sample. Among the 11 abuse and dependence criteria, problems cutting down and legal problems were the least informative for distinguishing problem users. Two dependence criteria and three of the four abuse criteria indicated different severities of cannabis problems across samples. As a rule, little evidence was found to support the idea that abuse and dependence were separate constructs for adolescent cannabis problems. In addition, certain abuse criteria may indicate severe substance problems, whereas specific dependence items may indicate less severe problems, leading to the need for further study, particularly the abuse items. In anticipation of DSM-V, researchers are examining the utility of the DSM-IV criteria for substance use disorders. One reason to examine DSM-IV criteria for cannabis abuse and dependence in adolescents, in particular, is that it is the most commonly used illicit substance among United States adolescents. Utilizing item response theory (IRT) and a sample of 5,587 adolescents, this study addressed 3 aspects of adolescent cannabis problems: do the cannabis abuse and dependence criteria in the DSM-IV reflect 2 different levels of severity in adolescents, to what degree do each of the 11 abuse and dependence items assess adolescent cannabis problem, and do the DSM-IV items function similarly across different adolescent populations? Tables, figures, references