Cannabis allergy may cause asthma symptoms in children

New research presented at a medical convention in Seattle in mid-November concludes that secondhand marijuana smoke may be a risk to anyone who suffers from asthma.

It’s possible for both children and adults with uncontrolled asthma to find their symptoms worsening due to cannabis allergy and exposure to marijuana smoke, Dr. Bryce Hoffman, lead author of the study, told fellow members of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at their annual scientific meeting Nov. 15-19 at the Washington State Convention Center.

Hoffman cited the case of a 6-year-old boy suffering with severe asthma who had family members who frequently smoked marijuana in the house.

Even though family members did not smoke marijuana in the same room as the child, he was exposed to trace of smoke and plant material, Hoffman said.

“It was not clear why his asthma was so severe and not responding to aggressive asthma therapies until we determined he was allergic to cannabis,” Hoffman said. “After the cannabis was removed from the house, his asthma improved.”

The study also indicated that the child’s grandmother had a history of hives after personal use of cannabis.

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While the boy did not have clear allergic symptoms such as hives, like his grandmother, “we know indoor allergens like pets and dust mites can make asthma worse without obvious allergic symptoms,” Hoffman said.

“This is different from secondhand tobacco smoke which worsens asthma by irritating the lungs in a non-allergic way. The takeaway is that cannabis allergy can make asthma worse even without direct use. Anyone using cannabis needs to consider that others living in their house who have asthma – particularly children – may be at risk of uncontrolled asthma.”

The ACAAI study was reported online at www.eurekalert.org, the website of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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