Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

UNLV study: Marijuana use can harm fetus during pregnancy

Marijuana

John Locher / AP

In this April 20, 2018, file photo, a customer shops for marijuana at the Exhale Nevada dispensary in Las Vegas.

UNLV doctors are warning expectant mothers that marijuana consumption may heighten health risks for the fetus after reviewing sonogram data from nearly 450 pregnant women who self-reported daily marijuana use.

A study, recently published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, concluded that there are links associated with daily cannabis use and negative fetal issues, such as increased risk of low birth weight, low resistance to infection and decreased oxygen levels.  In severe cases, marijuana use can lead to a stillbirth, according to the study.

Marijuana use during pregnancy has doubled over the last 15 years, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. The increase is due in part to widespread legalization, as well as some saying it’s a remedy for morning sickness and nausea.

Women who are pregnant will often seek cannabis for general aches and pains, said Brad Jones, manager at The Grove medical marijuana dispensary. Some terpenes found in the plant have pain-relieving effects and help with inflammation for swollen ankles and feet, he added.

Dispensaries are required by state law to have signs disclosing that pregnant women should consult with a physician before consuming marijuana products. Jones said employees at The Grove don’t advise pregnant women for against consuming marijuana and that its more “at your own risk.”

The Center for Disease Control notes that marijuana in any form can be harmful both in the fetus during pregnancy and the child while breastfeeding. A 2017 factsheet states that THC in marijuana can passed on to the fetus during development and can lead to long-term learning disabilities.

The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health outlines guidelines for healthcare providers on encouraging expecting mothers to cease all marijuana use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

“There is no known safe amount of marijuana use during pregnancy,” the guidelines state.

Physicians like Bobby Brar, who co-authored the UNLV study, worry about a false narrative that marijuana is safe for pregnant women, with 70% of the women in the Journal of the American Medical Association study believing that there is minimal or no harm from using marijuana in pregnancy.

“Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that fetal marijuana exposure may not be as safe as people think,” he said.

However, the UNLV study doesn’t take into account the differences between pregnant women who smoke marijuana versus those who vape or consume edibles. Researchers noted that the exposure to carcinogens found in both tobacco and marijuana can explain the growth abnormalities found in the ultrasound data.

“We don’t think it’s the THC itself because when you look at tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke, they both contain has polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a known association with poor fetal growth,” Brar said.

Brar said additional studies are needed to truly understand the effects marijuana use can have on pregnancy and fetal growth, but the overall sentiment is that it should be discouraged during pregnancy.