Smoking pot In Front Of Kids: Is it The Right Thing To Do? [Study]

• comments
• 
• 

There are several states who have already legalized pot smoking or recreational marijuana. But the main problem that most parents are facing is whether to smoke pot in front of their kids.

According to a mother residing in San Franciso, "I have never smoked and would never smoke around my child."  The mother further added that she uses marijuana for medical purposes to treat her insomnia and migraines. But she even mentioned that she ensures she doesn't smoke marijuana in front of her 5 year old son.

The main reason as to why she doesn't smoke in front of her son is because she doesn't want to impact the air quality near him. Interestingly, California is just one of the eight states that allows anyone above the legal age of 21 years to smoke pot.

According to Dr. Karen Wilson, lead author of a study that shows kids inhale chemicals given out from passive marijuana smoking supports the decision of this woman. Dr. Wilson, who is also a pediatrician further said that it was the first time they have been able to find traces of marijuana in urine of kids who have been exposed to secondhand marijuana smoking.

The study conducted by Dr. Wilson involved 43 children in Colorado aged between 1 month and 2 years. This study was only conducted on kids admitted into the hospital with bronchiolitis. The urine samples which were sent for test showed low levels of marijuana.

Now, children whose caregivers confessed to exposing them to marijuana showed 75% traces of it in the urine. Even though there are few studies that show the impact of secondhand marijuana on kids health, there are clues that show it might cause health issues.

Some of the studies have also shown that even low concentration of marijuana in kids might disturb their development. In case of adolescents, it might hamper the teenage brain and give rise to other problems in motivation, memory and attention.

In the words of Dr. David Beuther, a pulmologist, "So until there is more science on the health risks, Beuther says, marijuana smokers and vapers should take the same precautions around children as tobacco smokers."