According to a new study, pregnant women who have mild or severe morning sickness were significantly more likely to use marijuana during their pregnancy.
The study was conducted on women in the state of California and found that women who had severe nausea and vomiting in their first trimester were almost four times more likely to use the drug than thoe who did not have the symptoms.
Over 220,000 pregnancies from 2009 through 2016 were a part of the study, which found that overall use at 5.3% in the first trimester. That number went as high as 11.3% for pregnant women with severe nausea and vomiting and was 8% for women with mild nausea and vomiting.
“Our findings add important evidence to a small but growing body of research suggesting that some pregnant women may use marijuana to self-medicate morning sickness,” said the study’s lead author, Kelly Young-Wolff, PhD.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is discouraging pregnant women however from using marijuana and also women who plan to get pregnant or are breastfeeding.
According to Young-Wolff, the perception that marijuana is harmless has been rising as more states legalize it.
“Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean that it’s safe, especially in pregnant women,” she explained. “It’s important for people to realize that people who work in marijuana dispensaries are not medical professionals. We really recommend that pregnant women with nausea and vomiting talk to their doctors and don’t use marijuana.”
