Study shows 6% of pregnant women use marijuana despite risks

Close to 6% of pregnant women — about 1 in 16 — said they used marijuana during the last month, according to a national survey that found many did not associate use during pregnancy with health risks.
The study, published in The American Journal on Addictions, was based on the responses of 4,338 pregnant mothers who were part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Of the close to 6% who reported recent marijuana use, 70.9% “perceived little to no risk associated with marijuana use during pregnancy, even though it has been associated with low birth weight, premature birth and neurodevelopmental effects,” according to researchers from the University of Georgia College of Public Health, who led the project.
People are likely getting mixed messages about marijuana, said lead researcher Mohammad Rifat Haider, assistant professor of health policy and management. Haider said marijuana is seen as helpful when it comes to helping cancer patients manage nausea. And two-thirds of those using marijuana during pregnancy are in states where medical marijuana was legal when they were surveyed.
Twenty-five states have legalized recreational marijuana while another 14 allowed medical marijuana at the time of the survey.
But Haider noted evidence “clearly” shows negative effects in pregnancy.
“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,” Haider said in a news release.
Instead, Haider said women should talk to their OB-GYN about medicine that can help with nausea and vomiting.
He also called upon those doctors to address misconceptions about marijuana use during pregnancy.
“When medical marijuana is available, when it is legal, it is available in the pharmacy. It is widely available,” he said. “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.”