Legalization of recreational cannabis may contribute to increased rates of teen and childhood asthma, new research suggests. Investigators compared asthma rates in states with recreational programs with rates in states where the substance was illegal from 2011 through 2019.

Although the overall incidence of childhood asthma decreased within this time frame, the prevalence of asthma increased slightly among teens aged 12 to 17, and among children in some minority racial and ethnic groups in states with recreational use laws, relative to states where cannabis is fully illegal.

Study details: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3810994-study-finds-slight-increase-in-youth-asthma-rates-in-states-with-legal-recreational-cannabis/