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.