Talk to your doctor if you want to smoke pot while pregnant

Should women smoke or consume marijuana while pregnant?

In his recent The 420 columns, our resident cannabis expert Ngaio Bealum—who conceded that he is not a medical expert—wrote that weed use during pregnancy should be a personal decision. He rightly noted that, like all things marijuana, current medical research is insufficient.

We’d like to point out recent studies that show using marijuana while pregnant is probably not a good idea.

One study, under the umbrella of the National Institute of Health, says that “cannabis use both during pregnancy and lactation … may adversely affect neurodevelopment, especially during periods of critical brain growth both in the developing fetal brain and during adolescent maturation.”

The reports also explained that marijuana use by the mother can lead to growth reductions in the fetus.

So, while Bealum is correct that the current research is inadequate, we advise expecting mothers to abstain from marijuana use during and immediately after pregnancy. The fact is that it can cause harm. Please speak with your doctor if you’re thinking about using pot while pregnant.