The report suggested that asthma is more common among those who reported cannabis use in the past 30 days, with the odds of asthma being significantly even greater among individuals who reported cannabis use 20 to 30 days per month, according to researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, City University of New York, and Children’s National Hospital at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
The authors pointed out that their study is one of the first to put a spotlight on the link between cannabis use and its relationship with asthma. The results were published in the journal, Preventive Medicine.
The more frequent the use, according to the study, the higher the likelihood of asthma. Adjusting for cigarette use did not change the results much, the authors added.
“With the growing use of cannabis across the U.S., understanding potential links between cannabis use and asthma is increasingly relevant to population health. This relationship is an emerging area and requires thorough collaborative investigation by experts in these fields,” explained corresponding author Renee Goodwin, PhD.
Background information in the study pointed out that cannabis use has increased among adolescents and adults in the U.S. in recent years. Additionally, they added that little data are available on the prevalence of asthma by frequency of cannabis use.
Data for the study came from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)—a nationally representative, annual cross-sectional survey of 32,893 U.S. individuals aged 12 years and older.
The focus was on the relationship between the frequency of any cannabis and/or blunt (i.e., cannabis smoked in a hollowed-out cigar) use in the past 30 days and current asthma, adjusting for demographics and current cigarette smoking.
The results indicated that current asthma was more common among cannabis users in the past 30-days, compared with those who did not (9.8% vs. 7.4%, P <.0001).
“The odds of asthma were significantly greater among individuals reporting cannabis use 20-30 days/month (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.31), blunt use 6-15 and 20-30 days/month (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.2; AOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.6), respectively, than among those without,” according to the researchers. “A positive linear relationship was observed between frequency of a) cannabis use (P <.0001) and b) blunt use (P <.0001) and current asthma prevalence.”
The articles pointed out that asthma is among the most common chronic diseases, with a current asthma prevalence of 7.8% in the U.S. population. “In most cases, with adherence to an effective asthma management plan, individuals can live symptom-free and with minimal, if any, secondary burdens associated with asthma (e.g., missed work, school absences, use of emergency medications, hospitalizations),” according to the authors. “The avoidance of asthma triggers, however, is an essential component of an effective asthma management plan.”
Two well-documented triggers for asthma exacerbation are cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (STS). “Major public health efforts have been successful in reducing cigarette smoking and involuntary exposure to STS with the goal of reducing asthma incidence and reducing asthma-related morbidity,” the study advised. They added, “Cigarette use has declined dramatically over the past several decades due, in part, to these efforts. In contrast, cannabis use is on the rise among adolescents and adults in the U.S. and as well as among parents with minor children residing in the home.”
Until now, however, the relationship between cannabis use and asthma had not been well-studied nor well-understood, especially relative to that of the link between cigarette smoking and asthma, the authors pointed out.
The study emphasized that recent evidence on longer term use suggests that cannabis smoking “may increase respiratory symptoms, potentially obstruct lung function, increase respiratory sensitization, be associated with airway narrowing, partly reversible small airway dysfunction in adulthood, and worsening of respiratory symptoms including wheeze, cough, shortness of breath and acute respiratory illnesses.”
The researchers added, “With the growing use of cannabis, understanding potential links between cannabis use and asthma is increasingly relevant to population health,” noting “Our findings add a significant layer to the nascent body of research on potential harms associated with cannabis use by being the first to show a link between cannabis use in the community and respiratory health risks, specifically increased asthma prevalence. Examining asthma prevalence in both adolescents and adults helps to inform public health initiatives and policies geared towards mitigating its risks and underscores the importance of understanding the interplay between cannabis use and respiratory health.”
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