One in four US adults reported recent marijuana secondhand smoke exposure, but 81% opposed public marijuana smoking | Research

The takeaway

A 2018 survey of 4,088 US adults found 27.4% reported past-week marijuana secondhand smoke exposure in public areas, 52.4% considered it harmful, and 81% opposed public marijuana smoking.

Public health policymakers, clean air advocates, and cannabis regulators.

27.4% exposed to marijuana SHS in public; 81% opposed public marijuana smoking

What the researchers found

Among 4,088 US adults surveyed in 2018, 27.4% reported marijuana secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the past week in indoor and/or outdoor public areas. Those more commonly exposed included younger adults, Black and Hispanic individuals, those in Northeast/West regions, and current marijuana or tobacco users. A majority (52.4%) perceived marijuana SHS as harmful, and 81% opposed public marijuana smoking. Male sex, younger age, minority race/ethnicity, current substance use, and perceiving low harm from SHS correlated with favoring public marijuana smoking.

Why it matters

As states legalize cannabis, public smoking policies are being debated. This provides baseline data showing substantial public exposure despite general opposition, informing smoke-free policy design.

The numbers in context

4,088 adults; 27.4% past-week marijuana SHS exposure; 52.4% perceived harm; 81% opposed public marijuana smoking; younger adults, minorities, and substance users more exposed.

How the study worked

Internet panel survey of 4,088 US adults (June-July 2018) assessing tobacco use, marijuana use, opinions on public indoor marijuana smoking, perceived harm from marijuana SHS, and self-reported past-7-day SHS exposure. Weighted prevalence estimates with logistic and multinomial regression.

What this study cannot tell us

Internet panel (may not represent all US adults); self-reported exposure (no biomarker validation); cross-sectional; cannot distinguish marijuana smoke from other sources; perception of harm does not equal actual harm; 2018 data predates more recent legalization.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: large weighted survey with appropriate statistical methods, but internet panel and self-report.

When this study was published

Published 2020.

The bigger picture

The disconnect between 27.4% exposure and 81% opposition suggests enforcement of existing public smoking bans is inadequate. As cannabis becomes more legal, extending clean air policies to include marijuana smoke becomes increasingly important.

Questions still open

Is marijuana secondhand smoke actually harmful? Do existing tobacco clean air laws adequately cover marijuana smoke exposure?

Common questions

How common is marijuana secondhand smoke exposure?

Over one in four US adults (27.4%) reported exposure to marijuana secondhand smoke in public areas in the past week, with higher rates among younger adults, minorities, and those in the Northeast and West.

Do most people support public marijuana smoking?

No. Despite common exposure, 81% of US adults opposed public marijuana smoking and 52.4% considered marijuana secondhand smoke harmful.

Read the original research

Self-reported exposure to, perceptions about, and attitudes about public marijuana smoking among US adults, 2018.

Addiction (Abingdon, England), 115(7), 1320-1329

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Schauer, Gillian L; Tynan, Michael A; Marynak, Kristy. (2020). Self-reported exposure to, perceptions about, and attitudes about public marijuana smoking among US adults, 2018.. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 115(7), 1320-1329. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14955