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Children whose mothers use marijuana between the time they’re born and when they turn 12 start using marijuana two years earlier than their peers whose mothers did not use marijuana, according to a new study.

A number of studies have shown that child and adolescent marijuana use is associated with impairments in attention and concentration—and that those who start using marijuana early are at increased risk of health consequences.

The new study, which researchers based on nationally representative longitudinal surveys, appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Natasha Sokol, the study’s corresponding author and a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University’s School of Public Health, conducted the research while she was a graduate student working with Cassandra Okechukwu, a researcher at Harvard University.

Here, Sokol shares her insights on the study’s key findings and their implications.