EFFECTS ON PREGNANCY

Understanding pregnancy & cannabis

As cannabis legalization spreads and usage increases across all age groups, understanding THC’s physical, mental, and emotional impacts is crucial. This knowledge helps people make safe, informed choices, particularly during pregnancy, when decisions affect both the mother and the fetus. To support a healthy pregnancy, it is essential to avoid substances like cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. In this section, we will present evidence on cannabis use during pregnancy to help parents and their support networks make informed decisions, ensuring the best outcomes. While The Tea on THC focuses on high concentration cannabis, this evidence applies to all forms and concentrations of cannabis, with higher THC levels being linked to greater health risks.

How cannabis impacts both sides of the pregnancy

Cannabis contains over 500 chemicals, with at least 60 interacting with the nervous system. The medicinal and psychoactive effects are due to cannabinoids, which are absorbed through the lungs when smoked or the digestive tract when eaten, binding to brain receptors. Evidence shows that some cannabinoids can pass through the placenta, potentially harming the fetus’s development and increasing pregnancy complications.

Cannabidiol (CBD)

Does not produce a psychoactive effect

Facilitates drug passage to the fetus

Reduces uterine blood flow, affecting placenta

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Produces a psychoactive “high” effect

Potentially crosses placenta, accumulates in fetal brain

Other Contaminants

Cannabis contaminants can expose the fetus to toxins, including insecticides and mold

The prevalence of cannabis use during pregnancy

Researchers are finding that THC is increasingly being used during pregnancy across all age groups, with rates particularly high among younger, urban, and socioeconomically disadvantaged people. National surveys indicate a doubling in reported cannabis use among pregnant women from 2002 to 2017, with usage rates ranging from 2% to 5% overall, and skyrocketing to 15% or even 28% in certain demographics. Study after study reveals a persistent rise in cannabis consumption during pregnancy.

Factors associated with cannabis use during pregnancy:

Under 25 years old

Lower household income

Other substance use, including cigarettes

Endured significant emotional distress

Unemployment

No high school diploma

Previous cannabis dependence

Myth	Fact
Cannabis is safer and less expensive than tobacco.	For the fetus, cannabis poses risks similar to tobacco.
Cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for morning sickness.	No evidence supports this claim.
There is no risk, or just a slight risk, to using cannabis only once or twice a week during pregnancy.	Researchers already know that THC poses risks to fetal development, including to the nervous system. Research is still being conducted, but cannabis experts don’t think there is any "safe" dose during pregnancy.

  Myth
    Fact
  
      Cannabis is safer and less expensive than tobacco.
      For the fetus, cannabis poses risks similar to tobacco.
    
      Cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for morning sickness.
      No evidence supports this claim.
    
      There is no risk, or just a slight risk, to using cannabis only once or twice a week during pregnancy.
      Researchers already know that THC poses risks to fetal development, including to the nervous system. Research is still being conducted, but cannabis experts don’t think there is any "safe" dose during pregnancy.

Cannabis use during pregnancy: Risks to the pregnant person

Impaired judgment and coordination: Can affect motor skills and cognitive functions, leading to dizziness and falls.

Impaired breathing and lung function: Smoking cannabis can lower oxygen levels in the body, increasing the risk of breathing problems and lung damage.

Mental health effects: Frequent cannabis use (or use of high concentration products) can elevate the risk of mental health issues such as anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, and suicide.

Cannabis use during pregnancy: Risks to fetuses and newborns

Fetuses exposed to cannabis in the womb may suffer:

Fetal growth restriction
Premature birth
Low birth weight
Smaller birth length
Smaller head circumference
Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit
Stillbirth

Factors associated with these risks are:

Frequent cannabis use (at least weekly)
Combined use of cannabis and tobacco
Use during the first and second trimesters

Self-study curriculum from the Colorado School of Public Health

Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health spent months poring over thousands of published articles to create a self-study curriculum for The Tea on THC. See how much you know about why people use high-concentration cannabis during pregnancy and parenting, and what it may be doing to their (and the baby’s) mental and physical health.

Introduction to the Curriculum & General Info

Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health spent months poring over thousands of published articles to create a self-study curriculum for The Tea on THC. See how much you know about why young people are using high-concentration cannabis, how they're getting it, and what it may be doing to their mental and physical health.

Discover what cannabis is and understand the significant impacts on your physical and mental health, all backed by the latest scientific evidence. Dive in to gain a deeper understanding and prioritize your well-being.

By participating in this lesson, students will be able to understand:
- What cannabis is, including high-concentration cannabis.
- Different kinds of cannabis products, including high-concentration cannabis products.
- The impacts of cannabis use on physical and mental health, including specific impacts related to high-concentration cannabis use.

Lesson 2