Cannabis use among American parents rose significantly between 2012 and 2024, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego.
The findings, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, estimate that at least 5.9 million US children lived with a parent who used cannabis on most days in 2024.
The study found that 8% of parents used cannabis on most days in 2024, while 5.2% used it daily.
Researchers also estimated that 6.7% of parents met the criteria for cannabis use disorder.
Daily cannabis use among parents was approximately four times as common as daily alcohol use, according to the study.
Although use increased across nearly all demographic groups, some of the largest increases occurred among younger and unmarried parents, people in lower-income households, and those without a four-year college degree.
The research team analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included nearly 482,000 US individuals aged 12 and older.
The study examined trends in parental cannabis use but did not establish whether that use caused negative outcomes for children.
Expert Warns of Overlooked Risks
Dr. Jarid Pachter, a family medicine and addiction medicine specialist at Stony Brook Medicine in New York who was not involved in the research, warned that growing social acceptance could lead people to underestimate potential harms.
"Marijuana has become so socially acceptable that people are starting to overlook the risks," Pachter told Fox News Digital.
He emphasized that legal status does not eliminate health risks associated with cannabis consumption. "Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's harmless," Pachter said.
Pachter also raised concerns about how regular cannabis use at home might influence children's perceptions of the substance.
He pointed to studies suggesting that children whose parents use marijuana are more likely to use it themselves as they grow older, while noting that an association does not establish causation.
"If marijuana use is a regular part of life at home, children may start to see it as something that's normal and relatively harmless," Pachter said.
He cautioned that the relationship between parental and later child cannabis use should not automatically be interpreted as proof that one causes the other.
"That doesn't necessarily mean the parent's marijuana use is causing the child to use, but there's clearly an association," Pachter said.
The physician also highlighted the potential effects of THC, the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis, on attention, memory, coordination, and reaction time.
These effects may be particularly concerning when adults are responsible for young children's immediate needs.
"When you have young children, you need to be alert and able to respond to their needs," Pachter said.
"I'm not suggesting that someone who uses marijuana can't be a good parent. My concern is about being impaired when you're responsible for a child's safety."
He also questioned whether daily cannabis consumption should be treated as harmless simply because it is increasingly accepted in society.
"I also think we need to be careful about normalizing daily marijuana use," Pachter said.
"We wouldn't automatically consider daily alcohol use harmless, and we shouldn't look at marijuana that way, either."
Accidental ingestion presents another concern, particularly when cannabis edibles resemble familiar sweets.
Gummies and chocolate containing marijuana can be mistaken for ordinary candy by young children, potentially resulting in serious health complications.
"We've seen significant increases in emergency room visits involving children who accidentally consume marijuana," Pachter told Fox News Digital.
He described symptoms that can develop after children ingest cannabis, including severe sedation, confusion, and difficulty walking. More serious cases may involve breathing difficulties and hospitalization.
"Some develop severe sedation, confusion and difficulty walking. In more serious cases, children can have breathing problems and require hospitalization," Pachter said.
Pachter also warned that more frequent cannabis consumption is associated with a greater risk of developing cannabis use disorder.
He noted additional concerns involving high-potency products and possible psychiatric effects in susceptible individuals.
"We also know THC can affect memory, attention and coordination.
Frequent use, particularly of high-potency products, is associated with an increased risk of certain psychiatric problems in susceptible individuals," Pachter said.
Smoking cannabis around children can also expose them to secondhand smoke.
Pachter noted that cannabis smoke contains harmful chemicals also found in tobacco smoke, although the long-term health effects of secondhand THC exposure remain under investigation.
"Marijuana smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke," Pachter said.
"We know children can be exposed to THC through secondhand smoke, although we're still learning about the long-term health effects."
For people who use cannabis daily, Pachter suggested considering whether they can go without it and whether consumption interferes with work, relationships, or other responsibilities.
He stressed that parents should also assess whether their use affects their ability to care for their children.
"And if you're a parent, you need to consider whether your marijuana use is affecting your ability to care for your children," Pachter said.
The researchers acknowledged several limitations.
They did not evaluate parenting quality or children's health, and the findings cannot establish that parental cannabis use causes adverse outcomes among children.
The analysis also relied on self-reported substance use, leaving the results potentially vulnerable to inaccurate recall or reporting bias.
The researchers called for additional studies examining how the frequency of parental cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, household exposure, and storage practices relate to children's health and development.
The study received funding support from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
