There is a need to test pregnant women in states that have legalized cannabis for the unborn child’s and mother’s sake. According to a recent nationwide survey, these people are much more prone to use the drug.
Pregnant women more likely to use marijuana
A study published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse shows that pregnant women were 4.6 times more likely to report using marijuana in states where it is legalized for recreation and medical uses relative to where only CBD is legal.
In line with an expanding body of research that implies marijuana is being utilized as an alternative for medicinal drugs in permitted areas to treat pregnant symptoms, a sizable percentage of women reportedly use cannabis for medical reasons.
Lead study author Kathak Vacchani, a student in the Keenan Research Summer Student Program at St. Michael’s Hospital, said that it is increasingly crucial to assess the risk-benefit profile of marijuana compared to other treatments to understand possible therapeutic indications of marijuana use during pregnancy.
The researchers are requesting that obstetricians and primary care doctors check and advise patients about cannabis use during pregnancy, especially in places where it is permitted, to consider any possible impacts on fetal development.
They also claim that since most states have recently passed cannabis legalization and created cannabis marketplaces, public messaging “about the hazards” of cannabis use during pregnancy is “especially important now.”
Cannabis legalization has picked in recent years
The United States has seen a dramatic surge in cannabis product legalization over the past ten years. However, the legalization process has been gradual; different states permit the use of CBD products, cannabis that has been prescribed for medical reasons, cannabis used for recreation, or a combination of these.
Pregnant women are the least researched groups. However, cannabis has been documented to be used to alleviate various pregnancy-related symptoms, particularly nausea and vomiting.
Researchers found that self-reported use was higher in pregnant women who live in states allowing recreational and medical use than in states where cannabis is still banned.
