Researchers presented a case of cannabis allergy associated with secondhand cannabis exposure at the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Conference to highlight its potential impact on childhood asthma.
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A 6-year-old boy with severe asthma was poorly controlled on a regimen of high-dose inhaled mometasone/formoterol, inhaled tiotropium, and montelukast. Additional history-taking revealed that family members were frequently smoking cannabis in the household, and his maternal grandmother reported a history of urticaria after personal use of cannabis.
After removal of cannabis from the home environment, the patient’s asthma improved by subjective (Asthma Control Test questionnaire) and objective (impulse oscillometry) measures.
This is the first report of cannabis allergy in a young child and suggests that exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke may contribute to difficult-to-control asthma in such children.
