About 1 in 20 Women Use Marijuana During Pregnancy

November 4, 2024

Although numerous studies have shown that marijuana use during pregnancy may harm both the fetus and a mom-to-be, almost 6% of women responding to a recent survey said they used weed while pregnant.

That's more than one in every 20 pregnancies, noted a team from the University of Georgia (UGA). Many of the women interviewed viewed marijuana as harmless, and it's long been turned to as means of easing morning sickness.

“Marijuana is seen as a cure for nausea, but that’s not the way it should be dealt with in pregnancy because it is harmful for the mother and the fetus,” said study lead author Mohammad Rifat Haider, an assistant professor in health policy and management at UGA.

The new study was published recently in the American Journal on Addictions and drew on federal survey data from 4,338 pregnant women.

A total of 5.7% pf women interviewed said they had used cannabis within the prior month.

Use tended to peak in the first trimester and subside as pregnancy progressed, suggesting that most women were using it to ease morning sickness.

Most (70.9%) of the women who used marijuana during pregnancy believed they and their baby was at little or no risk from the drug -- even though studies have long linked the practice to low birth weight, premature birth and neurodevelopmental effects in offspring.

According to the report, two-thirds of the women who said they used weed during a pregnancy lived in one of the 39 states where it is legal for medical purposes.

This ease of access could be harming women and their babies, Haider said.

“When medical marijuana is available, when it is legal, it is available in the pharmacy. It is widely available,” he said in a university news release. “So we need to be extra cautious in those states and make solid policy that helps make pregnant women aware of the detrimental effects or marijuana use.”

He and his team stressed that there are prescription medications that can limit morning sickness, and women should consult with their ob/gyn about these meds before turning to marijuana.

Haider also noted that pregnant women with any history of substance use disorder or other mental health issue are more prone to use marijuana during a pregnancy.

"Long story short, this is a very vulnerable population, and evidence shows that during pregnancy, marijuana use is detrimental for both mother and child,” Haider said. “There needs to be policy direction from the state to have these discussions.”

More information

Find out more about the perils of using marijuana while pregnant at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: University of Georgia, news release, Oct. 30, 202

Pregnancy Marijuana