A new study from the University of California San Diego finds that roughly 6 million children nationwide are living with a parent who uses cannabis most days, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical contributor who cited the research in a recent opinion piece.
Siegel, who discussed the findings on “The Ingraham Angle,” pointed to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showing that children are twice as likely to use cannabis themselves if they live in a household with a parent who is a regular user.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, cannabis use among adults has more than doubled over the past two decades and now exceeds 8% of the adult population, Siegel wrote.
Potency Has Risen Sharply
Siegel noted that THC content in marijuana products has increased dramatically. Edibles now typically contain up to 10 mg of THC per serving, while concentrates and vape cartridges can contain 50% to 95% THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis. The flower used in joints, vapes, edibles and concentrates now typically measures 15% to 25% THC, compared with just 1% to 2% several decades ago, Siegel wrote.
Effects Beginning in the Womb
Citing research, Siegel wrote that fetal exposure to marijuana is linked to nearly twice the risk of premature birth and a two-and-a-half-times-greater risk of a baby being born underweight or requiring immediate care in a neonatal intensive care unit. National data shows more than 5% of pregnant women have used marijuana products in the past month, a figure Siegel said is climbing.
Children exposed to marijuana in the womb face a 2.5-times-greater risk of using THC products during their early teen years, according to research Siegel cited. A Harvard study he referenced found that a mother’s cannabis use during a child’s first 12 years of life is associated with the child beginning to use marijuana by age 16.
Impact on Parenting
Siegel wrote that regular marijuana use among parents is associated with emotional outbursts, car accidents, poor parenting and mental health disorders. He also cited research indicating that cannabis use can cause emotional dysregulation, mood swings, impaired judgment and irritability, and that anxiety in parents is linked to anxiety in their children.
Siegel pointed to strategies used for generations to address alcohol addiction as a possible model for helping families cope with marijuana dependence. He noted that while 130 million Americans drink alcohol—twice the number who use cannabis—more Americans now consume cannabis daily than drink alcohol daily.
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