As states have begun to legalize marijuana, its use has been more openly discussed. While the effects of other commonly used drugs, such as alcohol, have been studied extensively, the effects of marijuana – especially on developing babies during pregnancy – have been much less studied and less widely publicized. This relative silence from the scientific community has affected the public’s opinion on the safety of marijuana: 70 percent of U.S. women think there is “slight or no risk of harm” to the baby from using marijuana during pregnancy. Expectant mothers may use marijuana rather than prescription drugs during pregnancy to relieve pain because they feel “natural” or home remedies are a safer option than prescription drugs. However, just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it is any safer or a better alternative to well-studied prescription drugs. This seems to be the case for marijuana. Given that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy, understanding its risks and impacts on the developing fetus is important.
Three large-scale longitudinal studies tracked how maternal cannabis use affected their child’s development, and they have had surprisingly consistent results. The Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study surveyed 700 pregnant women who used marijuana in 1978 and has followed about 200 of those children into adulthood. The U.S.-based Maternal Health Practices and Child Development Study has studied 580 children of marijuana users from pregnancy through age 14. The Generation R study is tracking almost 8,000 children in the Netherlands.
Children of marijuana users were more impulsive and hyperactive, and exhibited behavioral issues, lower IQ scores, and memory problems when compared to children of non-users. These mental health problems persisted through their teenage years, where they were significantly more likely to have attention problems and depression. Marijuana-exposed children were also almost twice as likely to display delinquent behavior, such as drug use, by the age of 14 and were more than twice as likely to regularly use marijuana and tobacco as adults. The very consistent results between mice and human studies (summarized in the infographic from The Scientist below) highlights an increasing understanding of the impacts of marijuana use on development.
It’s important to note that some behavioral outcomes may not be completely related to fetal marijuana exposure. Children of marijuana users may have grown up in a different social environment with more lax views on drugs, contributing to their increased drug use.
As marijuana continues to be legalized, we should expect to see more studies on its health effects and safety.
Managing Correspondent: Chelsea Weidman Burke
Press Article: The Scientist
Original Journal Articles: The Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study
The Maternal Health Practices and Child Development Study
Image Credit: Cleveland Public Library
This is a great article and question. How do we really know if a developing baby’s brain is in fact affected negatively by Cannabis? Cannabis is an herb that our bodies are equipped with receptors to receive. It is not a substance which could endanger or poison the body from its presence alone. I would imagine that stimulants such as caffeine would have a much harsher effect on the fetus. Thanks for the stimulating write-up!
When you put an excess of a chemical it causes receptor changes and structural changes in the brain leading to excess dopamine in areas that is why we are seeing people have marijuana induced psychosis seeing things and hearing things that are disturbing to them and it takes medication to lessen these symptoms that sometimes never go away. As well as the statistics of 50% of people will develop schizophrenia after weed use.
Women have become more desensitized and just care about themselves more than their child. Smoking weed while pregnant is proof or they wouldn’t be doing it.
That is not true by any means. I’ve been a long time user, and quitting takes such a toll on my body that I have to have hospital and doctor support to be able to do it. It makes me sick, from puking to dizziness to disassociating to not being able to eat or hold anything down. Bashing moms for struggling to quit is INSANE. Maybe ones who don’t try to stop yeah, but ones who are trying and willing to just get put down even more when yall say that kind of stuff.
It’s extremely interesting to me to see the cannabis users comments vs. the non cannabis users. Every single person that has utilized cannabis has a well thought out, grammatically correct, educated response. Every person that clearly fell prey to the war on drugs…. Is angry, jumbled messaging, grammatical errors & extremely judgemental/close minded. I think that small case study of comments shows more than this entire study on mice. A little background, I’ve been studying the healing effects of cannabinoids for 10+ years, I’m a certified nutritionist, I own my photography business as well as my nutrition business. I’m far from lazy…stupid, or uneducated. Our breast milk produces cannabinoids for our newborn baby’s endocannabinoid system. Every single living thing, including plants have an endocannabinoid system. The goal of cannabis is to reduce inflammation in the body. Keep all 9 systems in homeostasis & promote neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is the opposite of neuro degeneration, something our brain does naturally over time, with injury or without. Neurogenesis promotes the cell turnover in the brain, creating new neuro pathways & new cell growth. I’m sorry to burst these old timers bubbles, but the tobacco, alcohol, tap water (that has 700x times the health guideline limit of arsenic, birth control & chlorine) , pharmaceuticals, processed food & technological warfare that they fed their body & brain while pregnant…. Is far more detrimental to a developing baby than a plant that hasn’t taken a single life on this planet. There’s a reason you can’t overdose on cannabis, the very cannabinoids you’re consuming protect you from such a thing. So, for my canna mommas, canna babies, and mommas on the fence…. Before your doctor prescribes you anti vomiting medication that causes high blood pressure & clots, before they tell you to take Tylenol to lower your fever & before you take pitocin for induction, an epidural with fentanyl in it or a c section that wasn’t necessary & may cause lifelong injury…….trust your gut & moreso trust that cannabis has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for conception, pregnancy, labor & birth. Cannabis also increases milk supply postpartum. And for those of you that are so against it, I have one question… are you fighting this hard against Xanax, anti depressants, adderall, SSRI’s, muscle relaxers? Because those pharmaceuticals have been destroying lives since the 80’s. Cannabis improves lives, mental health, physical health & overall well-being. I’m 36 weeks with a healthy baby girl. I have amazing blood pressure, no gestational diabetes, no anemia, healthy hemoglobin & I sleep, eat healthy & walk 3 miles a day.
Come @ me.
With an explanation like this i am convinced marijuana is magical. Your right it does make you smarter and age restrictions should be dropped. Mothers should be allowed to give to their enfants at all ages. It would probably stop them from crying or crawling around getting into things ,making it easier to care for them ,giving mothers more time for themselves. Your a genius!
It’s sad that there is not enough information….
I have been smoking pot in the last 4 months and my wife found out that she is pregnant and now we are concerned about it (she is non smoker)
There is a risk of autism and other neurological issues from what I read and we don’t know what to do…. Is there still a risk if only the father has been smoking?
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that your baby is 100% healthy & smart & happy. Please share your observations! And congratulations on being a dad! Cannabis is magic & so are babies. 🧡
Hi, Its a wounderful post.Thanks for your nice post. Do you know? British researchers found that medical pot slashed seizures by almost 90% and reduced use of traditional medications.
really informative
I have a have a friend who is a multi-bowl a day smoker, both her children were born very underweight, her youngest is a few months old and doesn’t show any developmental milestones so far, just sleeps, won’t really cry, and hasn’t started to hold his head up on his own. Her older child is almost 3 and still babbles, no actual words. Just wanted to add some anecdotal evidence that may show it isn’t healthy for baby. If you’re smoking very small amounts for nausea/pain, I understand, but I think some people just use that as an excuse when in reality they’re smoking recreationally
Maybe having a mom that smokes is the problem, I was a baby in a similar position but then my mom adopted me and yeah. Tbh though I wasn’t a very big speaker then I got bullied for talking too much lol
All these excuses because you want to keep smoking weed it’s wrong and you know it you’re destroying our future children our future leaders please stop it’s not a conspiracy we’ve known this for years before you young punks were born
When they take over this country you know why because you idiots will not stop smoking weed around kids and while being pregnant with babies
I here so many questions about the “What If’s” and I am not sure if anyone has taken into consideration the simply fact that it all begins with… ‘a lie’! In other words, In the beginning humans did not need any form of illegal drugs, but (listen) someone told them they did and in that, a ‘chain-reaction’. Did you hear that? When I research so many issue of this ‘human condition’… I’ve realized that a selfishness has always been present. Should it really be of any wonder that we are where we are today? Pick a topic. Economy, Homelessness, Relationships, just to name a few. No… we are where we are because we choose to be. God help us all! Sir Luke DoC <
Do you guys think this is more while in the womb, rather than a few puffs while breastfeeding and if toddler is much older? I don’t know how much gets through breastmilk?