Introduction:
Cannabis use in pregnancy and during lactation has been increasing over
time 1-3, driven by increasing use in the general
population 4-6 and the likelihood of regular users to
continue to use in pregnancy 7, 8. It is difficult to
establish a precise rate of cannabis use during pregnancy, with existing
studies suggesting that 2-36% of pregnant people use cannabis1-3, 7, 9-12 with variance related to the population
studied, definition of use, and methodology. The prevalence of cannabis
use during lactation is similarly unknown 13, 14.
Pregnant and lactating people use cannabis for a variety of reasons,
including to treat conditions which both pre-exist and are related to
the perinatal period 7, 8, 11, 15-19. Pregnant people
report using cannabis to alleviate pregnancy-related conditions such as
nausea, vomiting, pain and fatigue 16, 17, 20. Others
continue cannabis use for reasons which pre-existed pregnancy such as
pain, anxiety, sleep, to control seizures, or for skin and hair
treatment 7, 8, 11, 15-18. For some pregnant people
cannabis use may be a method of harm reduction, to decrease the
perceived negative impact of unmet physical or mental health needs, or
as an aid to discontinue the use of other substances judged to be more
harmful (e.g. opioids) 21.