An increasing number of women — particularly those younger than 24 — are using marijuana while pregnant. (41) Women are finding that it can help treat the nausea, anxiety, and stress that can accompany pregnancy.

But marijuana can be passed to infants through the placenta, just like other drugs that women are cautioned to avoid while pregnant.

So what exactly are the risks?

“That’s a big question,” says Judy Chang, MD, MPH, an associate professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Chang is currently researching the attitudes and beliefs of women who use marijuana while pregnant.

She says that the major studies that have looked at use in pregnancy seem to suggest that children of mothers who consume marijuana while pregnant may experience negative cognitive effects.

These studies found that children whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy were at greater risk for difficulties with attention, memory, and impulse control later in childhood. (42) These children, other research has found, may also be more likely to grow up and use marijuana themselves. (43)



“The key takeaway is that there may be some impact to the brain,” Chang says. “And no studies at all indicate a benefit.”

In addition, these large studies might be outmoded. Chang points out that they were conducted at a time when the drug wasn’t as potent, and the main method of consumption was smoking. THC content has increased exponentially over the years, she adds, and people are consuming edibles more, which have a stronger effect.

“Regular use used to mean smoking a joint three times a week,” says Chang. “The women we talk to are smoking more frequently than that, and they’re not necessarily using it in cigarette form.”

Because it’s not quite clear how use can affect the children of mothers who consume the drug while pregnant or breastfeeding, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists discourages using marijuana during these times. (44)

Mothers who are considering using marijuana while pregnant may also face another unwanted complication: Consuming the drug while pregnant is considered child abuse in at least 24 states. (45)



Marijuana-Related Warnings

Like alcohol and other drugs, using marijuana can impair your ability to drive, operate machinery, or perform any activity that requires you to be alert.



According to reporting done in 2017 by The Denver Post , the number of fatal car crashes linked to marijuana use has risen sharply in Colorado since the state legalized it in 2012. The number has risen each year — and so has the potency of the marijuana found in the systems of those who died in these accidents. ( 46

There have also been reports of children being adversely affected after accidentally eating edibles intended for adults. If you are going to keep edibles around, make sure they are in a place where no children can find them.