Cannabis use disorder rising among US parents, new study reveals

Key Points:

• A study found a significant rise in cannabis use among American parents from 2012 to 2024, with 8% using marijuana on most days and an estimated 5.9 million children living with a parent who uses cannabis frequently in 2024.
• Daily cannabis use among parents is about four times more common than daily alcohol use, with higher increases seen among younger, unmarried, lower-income parents, and those without a four-year college degree.
• Experts warn that despite legalization, marijuana use poses risks such as impaired parenting ability, normalization of use for children, accidental ingestion by kids, and potential secondhand smoke exposure.
• The study highlights concerns about THC's effects on attention, memory, coordination, and the increased risk of cannabis use disorder, but does not establish direct causation between parental cannabis use and negative child outcomes.
• Researchers call for further investigation into how parental cannabis use frequency, disorder, and household exposure impact children's health and development, noting the study's reliance on self-reported data and lack of assessment on parenting quality.