Just like many moms label themselves as “Wine Mom’s,” some other new moms and expecting mothers are turning to medical cannabis to relieve nausea, stress, and other pregnancy symptoms. But how exactly is marijuana helping and is pot & pregnancy safe?

For expecting mothers, the biggest benefit of medical cannabis is how it is able to significantly reduce morning sickness. According to one anonymous woman interviewed by Vice, she was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which means she was throwing up so much she was putting herself and her baby at risk. Fortunately, the woman found relief saying,“Marijuana did help. Immensely. I don’t think I would have made it through without cannabis.”

Since cannabis- medically and recreationally- is not federally legal, it’s difficult to conduct research and studies on the controversial topic. All we have to go off on is first person experience.

Feliza Castro, a user of medical cannabis while pregnant, says “I was using cannabis at the time I got pregnant to treat my lupus and was self medicating to treat anxiety for years before that so I wanted to continue to have it as a medical option during pregnancy. There wasn’t much research on the subject but I did find that our endocannabinoid systems start to form in utero (in the womb). I guess knowing that all humans are naturally hardwired for cannabis and that it is incredibly safe, especially compared to other drugs, I chose to continue to use it as needed during my pregnancy. The method I chose was vaporization as it is much less harmful than smoking. I did stop altogether by choice at the start of my third trimester because the pregnancy hormones had really taken over so I felt good and comfortable by then. My lupus lesions were gone and the need became much less frequent.” said Castro. “ I will say that medical cannabis definitely helps ease the uncomfortable symptoms that come along with pregnancy including stress, insomnia due to hormonal changes and morning sickness. I can say first hand that cannabis helps with all of that.”

While pregnant, many mothers have preferences as to how to consume cannabis. Just like Feliza, vaping is a popular choice because vaping essentially heats the cannabis without burning. This helps to not create smoke, as to potentially harm the developing lungs.

Even after pregnancy, cannabis has been proven to be helpful to treat postpartum depression. Cannabis has an extensive list of beneficial cannabinoids, but the two main ones which help treat depression after childbirth is the psychoactive THC and non-psychoactive CBD. In one 2007 study, low doses of THC was found to possess antidepressant-like behavior, which would certainly help mothers suffering from postpartum depression. For mom’s who are looking to not feel the effects of the psychoactive THC, CBD can be a great alternative. CBD has been proven to be a reliable anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic.

With all of this information, it is ultimately up to the mother to make choices on how- and if- she wants to medicate while pregnant, or after birth. It is our opinion that if you are pregnant and suffering, cannabis is definitely worth a try considering all of its potential benefits.

Sources:

Bambico, Francis Rodriguez, et al. “Cannabinoids Elicit Antidepressant-Like Behavior and Activate Serotonergic Neurons through the Medial Prefrontal Cortex.” Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, 24 Oct. 2007, www.jneurosci.org/content/27/43/11700.

Thomas, Sophie Saint. “​The Women Who Smoke Weed While Pregnant.” Vice, 22 Nov. 2015, www.vice.com/en_us/article/8gkk73/the-women-who-smoke-weed-while-pregnant-420.

Wilcox, Anna. “Cannabis And Mental Health: Does It Help?” HERB, 2 Nov. 2017, herb.co/marijuana/news/cannabis-mental-health-help.

Wilcox, Anna. “Marijuana And Pregnancy #6: Treating Postpartum Depression.” HERB, 16 Nov. 2017, herb.co/marijuana/news/marijuana-and-pregnancy-5-treating-postpartum-depression.