Child Urinary Cannabinoids Elevated With In-Home Cannabis Smoking

THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — In-home cannabis smoking is associated with significantly increased odds of child exposure to cannabis smoke, as assessed by urinary cannabinoid biomarkers, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in JAMA Network Open.

Osika Tripathi, Ph.D., from the San Diego State University School of Public Health, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using baseline data from Project Fresh Air, a 2012 to 2016 randomized clinical trial, to examine the association of in-home cannabis smoking with urinary cannabinoids in children living at home.

The analysis included 275 children (mean age, 3.6 years). The researchers found that 29 households (10.6 percent) reported in-home cannabis smoking in the past seven days; 75 children (27.3 percent) had detectable urinary cannabinoids. Compared with households without, households with reported in-home cannabis smoking had significantly higher odds of detectable Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol equivalents (TTE) in children”s urine (odds ratio, 5.0); increased odds were also seen with each additional ascertained daily cannabis smoking event (odds ratio, 2.5). Children with detectable urinary cannabinoids and exposure to more daily cannabis smoking events had a higher point estimate for TTE levels, although the difference was not significant.

“Our study suggests in-home cannabis smoking and children”s secondhand cannabis smoke exposure are related,” the authors write. “Investigation of how evolving cannabis regulatory environments impact in-home smoking patterns and potential increased child secondhand cannabis smoke exposure is essential.”

Abstract/Full Text