Apr 20, 2015 01:13 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Many people believe that medical marijuana and children should not mix, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System found that although nearly two-thirds of people agree that their state should allow medical marijuana for adults, half as many believe it should be allowed for children.

"We found that while most people support state laws that permit medical marijuana use among adults, the story is dramatically different for children. Medical marijuana is a controversial subject when we're talking about kids," researcher Matthew M. Davis said in a statement.

Davis said their findings suggest that "not only is the public concerned about the use of medical marijuana among children, but that the majority of Americans worry that even exposure to it may be harmful to kids' health. As is typical with anything involving health, the public's standards are much higher when it comes to protecting children's health."

For the study, researchers got their data from a Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health that included a national sample of adults in the United States.

Researchers noted that 80 percent of respondents also believe adults shouldn't be allowed to use medical marijuana in front of kids -- a view most prominent among parents of children under 18 years old.

The results come on the heels of new bills in congress proposing that the federal government reclassify marijuana as a controlled substance that can be dispensed legally.

The findings are detailed in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

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