A growing number of American parents are using cannabis, prompting questions about potential child exposure and safety, according to a new study
increased substantially among parents between 2012 and 2024, with researchers estimating that at least 59 million U.S. children were living with a parent who used marijuana on most days in 2024.
By 2024, 8% of parents used cannabis on most days, 52% used it daily and 6.7% met the criteria for (CUD).
Daily cannabis use among parents was about four times as common as daily , the study found
While increases occurred across nearly all demographic groups, some of the largest were seen among younger and unmarried parents, those in lower-income households and those without a four-year college degree
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), involving nearly 482,000 US. individuals ages 12 and older.
The findings were published in the journal Addictive Behaviors
"Marijuana has become so socially acceptable that people are starting to overlook the risks," Dr Jarid Pachter, who specializes in family medicine and at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, told Fox News Digital.
"Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's harmless," added Pachter, who was not involved in the study
The physician also expressed concern about the example parents are setting for their children
"If marijuana use is a regular part of life at home, children may start to see it as something that's normal and relatively harmless," he said, pointing to studies that show children whose parents use marijuana are more likely to use it themselves as they get older
"That doesn't necessarily mean the parent's marijuana use is causing the child to use, but there's clearly an association"
The doctor also cautioned that THC, the main in the marijuana plant, is known to affect attention, memory, coordination and reaction time
"When you have young children, you need to be alert and able to respond to their needs," he said "I'm not suggesting that someone who uses marijuana can't be a good parent. My concern is about being impaired when you're responsible for a child's safety."
"I also think we need to be careful about normalizing ," he went on "We wouldn't automatically consider daily alcohol use harmless, and we shouldn't look at marijuana that way, either."
Pachter emphasized that accidental ingestion is another concern, especially with edibles like marijuana gummies or chocolate, which can look like regular candy to a young child
"We've seen significant increases in emergency room visits involving ," he told Fox News Digital
"Some develop severe sedation, confusion and difficulty walking In more serious cases, children can have breathing problems and require hospitalization."
The more frequently someone uses marijuana, the greater risk of developing , the doctor cautioned
"We also know THC can affect memory, attention and coordination Frequent use, particularly of high-potency products, is associated with an increased risk of certain in susceptible individuals."
Smoking marijuana around children can also pose a risk of secondhand exposure
"Marijuana smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals found in ," the physician said "We know children can be exposed to THC through secondhand smoke, although we're still learning about the long-term health effects."
For those who use marijuana every day, Pachter suggests they ask themselves whether they can go without it, and whether it is affecting work, or responsibilities
"And if you're a parent, you need to consider whether your marijuana use is affecting your ability to care for your children"
The study had some limitations The researchers did not assess parenting quality or childrenâs health, and the findings do not establish that parental cannabis use causes adverse child outcomes.
Additionally, the data relied on self-reported substance use, which could be subject to recall or reporting bias
The researchers called for further studies examining whether the frequency of parental cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, household exposure and storage practices are associated with or developmental outcomes
The researchers reported funding support from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism