Cannabis and Pregnancy, is it better than safe?

New study highlights the increase in cannabis use among pregnant women in California.  No negative outcomes reported, yet the jury is still out on the potential pro’s and con’s.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy, and its use is increasing. From 2002 to 2014, the prevalence of self-reported, past-month marijuana use among US adult pregnant women increased from 2.4% to 3.9%.1 In aggregated 2002-2012 data, 14.6% of US pregnant adolescents reported past-month use.

A new cannabis study, published Tuesday in JAMA, asked more than 275,000 pregnant women who were being treated at one of the facilities in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California system to fill out a survey.

On the survey, which the women completed early in their pregnancy, were questions about marijuana use.

The women also took a urine test. The researchers looked at data from eight years and found that the number of women who reported smoking marijuana increased over time—especially for mothers who were less than 18 years old at the time and for those who were between 18 and 24. In 2016, nearly a quarter of pregnant teenagers had used marijuana, as had about one in five women between 18 and 24.

In October, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) put out an update to its committee opinion on cannabis use during pregnancy

Because of concerns regarding impaired neuro-development, as well as maternal and fetal exposure to the adverse effects of smoking, women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use. Obstetrician–gynecologists should be discouraged from prescribing or suggesting the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation.

Pregnant women or women contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in favor of an alternative therapy for which there are better pregnancy-specific safety data. There are insufficient data to evaluate the effects of marijuana use on infants during lactation and breastfeeding, and in the absence of such data, marijuana use is discouraged.

So, is CBD Is Safe for Use by Pregnant Mums in England?

As yet there is no official position from the Ministry of Health or the The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) about using CBD during pregnancy in the UK. However, the topic of cannabis abuse (including smoking high THC strains) has been debated.

Nausea, stress and mood changes are some of the issues pregnant women will seriously try to control. Research has shown that thousands of women use of both Cannabis and CBD oil to control some of the problems they face during pregnancy. This has driven the need for more research on the use of CBD during pregnancy. Some opinions already mentioned are that cannabis should not be used by expecting women and this is because of the obvious side effects that the use of drugs could have on the unborn baby.

However, it is important to put it clear that CBD should not be confused with THC, the psychoactive substances contained in the cannabis plant. CBD derived from hemp is low to zero THC and as such.

CBD Helps in Reducing Vomiting in Pregnant Women

The most common health problem during pregnancy is nausea. CBD will activate the neurotransmitters called hydroxytryptamine which will slow the expulsion reflex that is responsible for causing nausea in women. Therefore, the overall effect is a reduction in the urge to vomit.

CBD Reduces Back Ache in Expectant Mums

The increased weight and stretching abdomen will lead to stress and exerts a lot of pressure especially when walking. The pressure is all directed to the body supporting organ which is the backbone. The increased weight will also lead to pressure on your skin. This causes occasional pain and mostly when you are working at home. CBD has been used as a pain reliever for several years.   Used topically, CBD balms and creams can help to maintain strong and healthy skin during and after pregnancy.

We believe there is insufficient data to support the use of cannabis or specifically CBD during pregnancy.  Common sense would suggest smoking cannabis should be avoided.  There’s also sufficient expert opinion that use of THC should also be minimized during pregnancy.  The use of a sublingual CBD oil or a topical form of cannabis could be the less risky alternative.

As ever, we’d recommend consulting your doctor before using any new healthcare product.

As yet there is no official position about using CBD during pregnancy in the UK.

SOURCEJAMA Report December 2017 Kelly C. Young-Wolff, Ph.D., MPH1; Lue-Yen Tucker, BA1; Stacey Alexeeff, PhD1; et al.  Trends in Self-reported and Biochemically Tested Marijuana Use Among Pregnant Females in California From 2009-2016

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