A growing number of pregnant women are turning to cannabis for relief, but doctors are warning this habit has serious risks and may affect the child “in later life.”
For some women, pregnancy brings severe symptoms that feel impossible to manage, pushing them to look beyond traditional treatments.
Among them is Tatiana Sanchez, who struggled with extreme nausea and vomiting, known medically as hyperemesis gravidarum, during her pregnancy in 2020.
After repeated hospital visits and limited relief from prescribed medications, she made a decision that many doctors caution against.
Speaking to the New York Post, Sanchez, who was 30 during her pregnancy, explained: “I chose to use cannabis then out of desperation, because I believed it posed fewer risks than the pharmaceuticals offered to me. Despite multiple emergency room visits and consultations, the support I received was limited.”
Sanchez said her symptoms eased quickly after using cannabis, a result that has led some expectant mothers to also become “cannamoms.”
‘Cannamoms’
Sophie Watkins, a 36-year-old health and life coach, said she “was struggling with nausea, restless legs syndrome and high stress.”
“Cannabis, in microdoses, was the one thing that consistently brought me relief without the heavy side effects of other pharmaceuticals,” Watkins told the Post, adding that her doses “averaged about two to three times per week.”
Meanwhile, Riley Kirk, a cannabis research scientist, explained that her nausea was so bad that Even Zofran – used to prevent nausea and vomiting – “triggered vomiting.”
“Inhaling cannabis vapor was the only method my body could tolerate, and it provided near-instant relief,” Kirk, 31, told the outlet. “During my pregnancy, I chose to consume very small doses of cannabis on only a few occasions to manage persistent migraines.”
Still, even among those who turned to cannabis, the decision came with hesitation and concern about the potential consequences.
Growing use despite medical warnings
Health experts say this trend is becoming more common, with data showing an increase in marijuana use among pregnant women in recent years.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that 6.8% of expectant mothers reported using cannabis between 2021 and 2023, with smoking as the “predominant method, followed by vaping and edibles.”
That number, Healthline reports, rises up to 28% for “young, urban, and socioeconomically disadvantaged women.”
“Cannabis use in pregnancy has risen over the years, with rates reported between 3 and 20%, and the highest use reported in the first trimester,” Dr. Esther Chung, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist told the New York Post. “Many patients say it helps with stress, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain or nausea.”
Despite these reported benefits, medical professionals continue to stress that relief does not mean safety.
Risks of using cannabis during pregnancy
According to Healthline, cannabis use while pregnant has been linked to a higher risk of several complications, including:
- low birth weight
- premature birth
- small head circumference
- small length
- stillbirth
‘May affect them in later life’
Research has linked marijuana use during pregnancy to serious risks, and a meta-analysis of more than 51 studies involving over 21 million women found babies exposed in the womb are at risk of being born way too early or even death.
Health organizations say this exposure may also increase the risk of severe birth defects, particularly those affecting brain development, along with possible long-term impacts on a child’s behavior, memory, and learning ability.
It may “also may affect them in later life,” the study’s senior author, Dr. Mark Walker, told the Post in an earlier article.
“Cannabinoids can readily cross the placenta and enter the fetal bloodstream,” Walker says. “These compounds can disrupt fetal development and may have lasting effects on the child.”
Former ‘cannamoms’ speak out
While some women initially turn to cannabis for relief, others later share regrets and urge expectant mothers to think carefully before making the same choice.
One woman wrote on Reddit that she noticed a clear difference after quitting during pregnancy, saying, “I am 24 weeks pregnant, and my baby’s movement has been night and day… Now, he tumbles all over all day. I can say 100% the day I stopped is the day I noticed this change. I only share because I looked for excuses to continue. I have PTSD, anxiety and depression. I needed an escape. Weed isn’t it, for now.”
Another shared a more difficult experience within her family, explaining, “My sister continued to smoke throughout her pregnancy, and my niece, unfortunately, was a very low birth weight with a calcified placenta.”
“Once I read about the long term behavioral and emotional regulation issues that MAY occur, it was enough to get me to stop,” shared a third.
Would you ever consider using cannabis if you were struggling with severe symptoms during pregnancy, or do the risks outweigh any possible relief? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story so we can hear from others!
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