Health Effects of Marijuana During Pregnancy

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), marijuana is the most commonly used psychotropic drug in the United States.  Cannabis is a flowering plant with 3 main species: Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Ruderalis which all can occur naturally in our environment.  Often times there is a connection between naturally occurring plants in our environment and thus using those plants to be a low risk to our health.  More and more states have legalized the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana over the past decade and we have seen marijuana use increase with young people.  In conjunction with this trend, marijuana has also been the most widely used illegal drug during pregnancy.  Many pregnant mothers view marijuana use as safe and as a natural way to treat nausea, vomiting or morning sickness.  They report marijuana to work in reducing these symptoms during pregnancy.  But the real question is if so many pregnant mothers are using marijuana, how safe is marijuana during pregnancy?

According to  SAMHSA, marijuana use during pregnancy can actually be harmful to a baby’s health and cause many serious problems, including stillbirth, preterm birth, and growth and development issues.  No amount of marijuana has been proven safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first official guidelines, advising women who are pregnant or nursing to avoid marijuana use because it isn’t safe for them or their children.