- A new study shows there were more cases of asthma among individuals in the United States who used cannabis in the past month.
- Negative effects of cannabis use include respiratory and cardiovascular problems, cognitive impairment, poor school or work performance, and mood disorders.
- The effects of secondhand smoke from cannabis may also raise asthma risk.
- The legalization of cannabis in many states may have contributed to the recent rise in asthma cases.
A new study showed asthma was more prevalent among individuals in the United States who reported cannabis use in the past month.
Asthma was also more common among people who used cannabis 20–30 days each month.
The findings were recently published in the journal Preventive Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health a representative, which included 32,893 U.S. individuals aged 12 and up.
Specifically, they looked at the association between frequency of any cannabis, blunt use, or both in the past month among participants with asthma, while also taking into account demographics and current cigarette smoking.
Results indicate the more often cannabis is used, the higher the incidence of asthma. Further studies are needed to understand this association.
Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, not involved in the study, told Medical News Today:
“As the study showed, increased use of cannabis seems to correlate with the increased prevalence of asthma. It’s important to note the way cannabis was delivered was traditional (used in a blunt form) as opposed to edibles. Therefore, it is unclear if it’s the contaminants of smoke or the THC itself which is causing the increased prevalence of asthma in those users.”
Cannabis or marijuana is the third most used psychoactive substance worldwide, after alcohol and tobacco (nicotine), Dr. Sobia Farooq, an asthma specialist at Cleveland Clinic not involved in the study, told MNT.
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