The effects of cannabis on a fetus during pregnancy are not well understood.
But a new study found pregnant women were 56% more likely to report Marijuana use in states where it’s legal for medical use — like Arizona — compared to states where it’s not.
The study is based on a national survey of pregnant people who were asked if they had used cannabis in the last 30 days.
In states where medical marijuana is legal, 6.5% of pregnant people reported use, compared to 4.6% in states where it isn’t.
The CDC has found associations between marijuana use during pregnancy and lower birth weights and abnormal neurological development.
University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson professor Alicia Allen says it’s difficult to determine a direct link.
“And the reason we can't really do that with cannabis use and low birth weight is there are all kinds of what we call confounding factors coming into play,” Allen said, “Folks who are using cannabis during pregnancy are also more likely to use other substances, like nicotine and tobacco or alcohol. And so that makes things even more difficult to study because it's hard to say what's causing what.”
Multiple reasons could have led to underreporting in the study, such as stigmatization or perception of punishment.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated to correct which university Alicia Allen is from.
