Attention pot-loving parents! This disease is on the rise in legal weed states

Of Nina Zdinjak

Is there a link between cannabis legalization and the number of children with pediatric asthma? A new study published in Preventive Medicine sheds light on this question.

Researchers behind an “environmental analysis” estimated the impact of legalizing medical or recreational cannabis on the number of pediatric asthma cases, New Medical reported.

Asthma is considered the most prevalent chronic disease among children in the United States, with pediatric asthma estimated to affect over 6 million children. At the same time, use of marijuana among adults has increased, particularly in states where it is legal.

So is there a connection between the two? The study authors seem to think so. They concluded that asthma prevalence has increased in recent years in states where recreational cannabis has been legalized.

According to recent statistics, 11.9% of parents with minor children in legal-recreational marijuana states used marijuana, followed by states with medical marijuana programs and the lowest (6.1%) in states without legal marijuana laws. With the increasing legalization and popularization of cannabis, exposure to secondhand smoke is also increasing, which can lead to asthma in children.

The study found that the overall prevalence of asthma in the pediatric population has stopped decreasing in recent years (compared to 2016-17). In addition, the study found no significant difference in asthma prevalence between states with legal medical marijuana and recreational programs.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

The number of children with asthma aged 12 to 17 increased in states with legal cannabis markets for adult use compared to states that have not legalized marijuana.

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At the same time, previous research has shown that certain cannabinoids found in cannabis, such as THC, can act as a bronchodilator, reducing airway obstruction and increasing airflow into the lungs. In fact, a 2012 study published in the journal American Review of Respiratory Disease showed that those who used cannabis actually had better lung function, on average, than their non-smoker peers.

The dangers of passive smoking

On the other hand, the new study relates to second-hand smoke, as does a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, which found that second-hand marijuana smoke is more harmful than second-hand tobacco smoke.

This study, published in the JAMA Network Open, found that non-smokers can be exposed to air pollutants at levels twice federal air quality limits.

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An aerosol monitor positioned where a bystander might sit measured air quality – more specifically, Particulate Matter (PM2.5) – from a bong smoker’s living room where a group of young adults smoked cannabis for two hours. The instrument recorded PM2.5 levels before, during and after eight sessions.

Results showed that smoking cannabis bongs increased PM2.5 levels by at least 100-fold over background. Additionally, after the first 15 minutes of smoking, levels of PM2.5 — which can travel deep into the airways and impair lung function — exceeded air quality levels considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.