Cannabis Use and Public Health: Protecting Workers and Communities

Smoke-free laws protect the public and workers from the health hazards of secondhand smoke, and those
protections must extend to cannabis smoke. Smoking cannabis (often referred to as marijuana) in public places
unnecessarily exposes individuals who don’t use cannabis to secondhand smoke, posing potential health risks.
Permitting cannabis smoking or e-cigarette use in public places compromises highly effective smoke-free laws.
Comprehensive smoke-free laws improve indoor air quality, reduce secondhand smoke exposure, change social
norms regarding the acceptability of smoking, prevent youth and young adult smoking initiation, reduce asthma
hospitalizations among people who don’t smoke, and promote cessation. Prohibiting cannabis smoking including
the use of e-cigarettes should be a part of a comprehensive smoke-free law.

Download the factsheet to find out more.