Asthma Linked to Cannabis Use, New Study Finds
Our sister publication, Patient Care, analyzed a recent study on the connection between cannabis use and asthma in adolescents and adults in the US.
A recent cross-sectional survey conducted by researchers from three different institutions aimed to gauge how common asthma is in adolescents and adults who had used cannabis within the past 30 days (1). Noting that there is a rise in cannabis use in this population but an absence of data on the prevalence of asthma with cannabis use, the researchers reviewed data from over 30,000 individuals ages 12 and older to provide more research in this area (1). The study, titled “Cannabis use and the prevalence of current asthma among adolescents and adults in the United States,” was published in the journal Preventative Medicine in December 2023 (1).
The researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2020, adjusting for demographics and cigarette smoking (1). They also examined the effect of frequency of use and of blunt use (1).
Analysis from our sister publication Patient Care states (2):
- Among individuals who reported any past 30-day cannabis use, current asthma prevalence was higher (9.8%) than among those who did not (7.1%), translating to a 43% increase in the odds of current asthma among the former group vs the latter.
- Among study participants who reported using cannabis on 20 to 30 of the past 30 days, the odds of current asthma increased to 73% compared to those who reported no use
- The odds of asthma in persons who reported using blunts (cannabis smoked in a hollowed-out cigar) in the past 30 days was more than 2-fold, according to the findings
- Those with only 6 to 19 days of past 30-day blunt use were significantly more likely to have current asthma
Read the original article from Patient Care for more analysis and results: https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/use-of-cannabis-linked-to-high-risk-of-prevalent-asthma-new-findings
References
- Goodwin RD, Zhou C, Silverman KD, Rastogi D, Borrell LN. Cannabis use and the prevalence of current asthma among adolescents and adults in the United States. Prevent Med. 2024;179:107827. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107827
- Halsey, G. Use of cannabis linked to high risk of prevalent asthma: New findings https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/use-of-cannabis-linked-to-high-risk-of-prevalent-asthma-new-findings (accessed Feb 8, 2024).
Ep 24, Part III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
