New research has found marijuana use during pregnancy in the USA is statistically significant – and many women may not be aware of associated risks.
With cannabis now legal for recreational and/or medical use in most US states, it’s well and truly out of the shadows and in the mainstream.
A recent study out of the University of Georgia College of Public Health examining the association between state-level medical marijuana legalization and marijuana use during pregnancy found approximately 6% of pregnant women reported using marijuana in the previous month. They evaluated the association among 4338 pregnant women based on data from the 2015–2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
59% lived in a state where medical marijuana was legalized during the period. Compared to those living in states where marijuana remained illegal, more pregnant women living in legal states reported using it (4.6% vs. 6.5%).
One of the findings that unsettled the researchers were 70.9% did not perceive any risk associated with weekly marijuana use.
“This result shows the pregnant women lack the vital information on the harmful effects of marijuana use during pregnancy and the importance of imparting the information during first trimester of pregnancy, when the marijuana use is observed more among pregnant women,” the study states.
Pregnant women may consider marijuana for managing nausea, but that’s not the way it should be dealt with state the researchers. They say adverse outcomes can include low birth weight, fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and neurodevelopmental effects that can extend into young adulthood.
“Chronic marijuana use may also increase the risk of developing cannabinoid hyperemesis,” they state.
Cannabinoid hyperemesis is also known as “scromiting“; a word that is a portmanteau of screaming and vomiting.
But for education to occur, clinicians need to be equipped with the necessary training, tools, and resources.
An interesting finding was the likelihood of marijuana use during pregnancy was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021) than in 2015, although the researchers caution NSDUH data collection methods underwent major changes during the pandemic.
The study has been published in The American Journal On Addictions.
