Study – why do people use cannabis during pregnancy?

Mums-to-be use cannabis to manage pregnancy-related symptoms and a range of pre-existing conditions, according to a new study.

New research, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) has found that people who use cannabis during pregnancy and lactation, do so to manage pregnancy-related symptoms and pre-existing conditions, such as nausea and vomiting, mental health problems and insomnia. 

According to the researchers, cannabis use by pregnant and breastfeeding people appears to be increasing, although there is a lack of evidence on prevalence and the effects of cannabis on offspring. 

This new study provides some rare insight into motivations and the changing nature of reasons for cannabis use during pregnancy.

The study included 52 people recruited from across Canada, of whom 51 were women and one identified as non-binary. At the time of the interview, 30 people were pregnant and the remaining 22 were breastfeeding. All had used cannabis before their pregnancy. 

The reasons that participants gave for using cannabis changed when they became pregnant. 

Some reported that they stopped consuming out of fear of harm to the fetus when they found out they were pregnant. Other people stopped because of social stigma, guilt and health reasons. 

Those who kept using cannabis described their motivation as related to managing symptoms of pregnancy and conditions that pre-existed pregnancy. After they gave birth, their motivations for using cannabis changed, more closely resembling the reasons they supplied for using cannabis before becoming pregnant.

“Our findings have very little resonance with evidence on motivations for cannabis use identified in non-pregnant populations, suggesting that motivations for use during pregnancy and lactation are unique,” writes Dr Meredith Vanstone, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, with coauthors.

“The reasons for use provided by our participants more closely match those identified in studies of medical cannabis use, such as for controlling pain, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms, nausea or appetite, and for sleep, with many using cannabis to manage multiple symptoms.”

These findings have implications for clinical practice, including counselling of pregnant and lactating people on the potential harms of cannabis use and alternative approaches.

“I think it’s important for physicians to understand that people who use cannabis during pregnancy are often doing so because they perceive important benefits of cannabis for controlling a variety of symptoms,” Dr Vanstone adds.

“There’s an opportunity here for exploring the benefits that pregnant patients are getting from cannabis and helping them find alternatives that we know are safe for both mom and baby.”

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