Pregnant women in legal cannabis states four TIMES more likely to use it, raising health risks
The state where cannabis is legalized makes it five times more common for women to smoke the drug during pregnancy. This raises the risk of having still births, premature births, and other birth defects.
- Women who were pregnant in legal states were approximately five times as likely than women who weren’t to use marijuana.
- It has not been proven safe for unborn babies or pregnant women.
- It has been shown to be linked with low birthweight, stillbirth, cognitive issues, among other things.
Pregnant women who reside in states with loose cannabis laws in the United States are more likely than women who live more restricted areas to use the drug.
Pregnancy can lead to premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth or even death. Long-term brain development problems may also be a result of smoking the drug.
Multi-state research found that pregnant mothers in states that allow marijuana for medicinal or recreational use were almost five times more likely than those in states that ban CBD.
The report was written amid the cannabis revolution that is sweeping America. It urged prenatal care providers and primary care providers alike to educate pregnant patients on the potential dangers of using marijuana while they are still in labor.
More than half of all states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, while 21 states and DC allow adults to legally use it recreationally.
Lead author Kathak Vachhani said: ‘Therefore it is increasingly important to evaluate the risk-benefit profile of cannabis as compared to other medical treatments to understand any potential therapeutic indications for cannabis use in pregnancy.’
Tuesday’s report follows a week-long study in Canada, in which half of the 50 expecting mothers said they used the drug during pregnancy despite knowing health risks.
Pregnant woman who live outside of strict cannabis laws are more likely than women who live in more restrictive states to use the drug (file image).
This chart shows the use of cannabis in America. 21 states and DC have legalized cannabis for recreational and medicinal use. Nearly all allow it to be used medicinally.
Sometimes, marijuana is used to ease nausea in pregnant women. But it is not known if this substance is safe. Low birth weight, stillbirth, and other serious health consequences have been linked to marijuana use.
The research team derived 2017 to 2020 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing national survey that collects information about adults’ health behaviors and risk factors.
1,900 were pregnant. Around 420 people lived in states that only CBD was legal. 1,100 people lived in states that have medical marijuana allowances, and 394 in states with recreational marijuana allowances.
A little over 2 percent of CBD-only residents reported using cannabis, compared with over 7 per cent in medical states. This is slightly lower than the 7% who live in recreational states.
A wide breadth of research points to potentially severe effects on an unborn baby’s health when the mother uses marijuana.
Its usage has been Low birth weight is closely linkedThe baby is at higher risk of developing a food allergy, which can lead to difficulty eating, weight gain and infected.
Also, a higher chance of stillbirth is found with cannabis use. A federal research project by the National Institutes of Health in 2013 found that cannabis use increases the chance of a baby being stillborn. 2.3% higher risk There was stillbirth among pregnant women who used marijuana while they were pregnant.
The risk of cognitive and memory problems in children who are born to marijuana users is also increased for women who use it while pregnant.
An analysis Published earlier in the year JAMA Pediatrics reported that prenatal cannabis use after the fifth to sixth week of pregnancy was associated with attention, behavioral and social problems that continue into young adolescence.
Dr Vachhani said: ‘From the mother’s health standpoint, our current understanding is rudimentary regarding the complex interplay between use (whether CBD or THC-based) and long-term health outcomes for the mother.
‘Although further studies may lead to an accepted therapeutic indication, based on the current consensus the positive association between cannabis use and legalization found in our study warrants further inquiry.’
The study’s small sample size is a major drawback, even though it has been peer-reviewed and approved by other subject matter specialists. Other limitations include a dearth of information on the time and place of birth when the woman used the drug.
