Cannabis and pregnancy: can we take CBD?

Can we take cannabis or CBD to reduce morning sickness during pregnancy? Will cannabis affect the baby's development or have effects on his development?

CBD is one of the components of cannabis. It is considered medicinal because it has no psychoactive effects like the other main component of marijuana, THC Edibles. It is being proven to have numerous beneficial effects and its consumption is becoming popular to relieve the symptoms of some diseases such as epilepsy, arthritis, osteoarthritis, or depression.

It has also been shown to be effective, alone or in combination with THC Edibles, in combating nausea and vomiting caused by anti-cancer treatments. This can ask us if we can take cannabis to reduce the discomfort as frequently in the first months of pregnancy as vomiting or headaches. Can we take cannabis or is the baby at risk? Let's see what doctors and researchers say on the subject.

Read also: Can CBD Be Mixed with Antidepressants?

The Effects of THC on Fetal Development

The general opinion of all pediatricians is that it is a risk to take cannabis with THC during pregnancy and lactation. THC Edibles easily cross the placenta and enters the brain of the developing fetus. It even passes through breast milk after 6 days of consumption.

Little is known about what happens when THC Edibles reach the baby, but studies underway suggest it could have effects on neurological development. These damages could affect the ability to concentrate, attention, memory, visual perception, impulse control, and ability to solve problems.

In some children, for example, prenatal exposure to marijuana had caused an increase in tremors and the startle reflex in newborns.

Some studies also emerge that babies exposed to THC Edibles may have mental health problems when they reach adolescence or adulthood. This would affect the ability to organize their time, schoolwork, or whatever job they want to perform.

Stacey Kerr is a family physician and birth counselor who practiced in California, where marijuana is legal. She tried to answer her patients' questions about the risks of using marijuana during pregnancy.

In the absence of conclusive studies, he initiated a field study on adults who were born in hippie communities in the 60s and in which marijuana use was not only accepted but favored. Dr. Kerr did not detect any significant alterations in the abilities of these adults. None that can be directly related to marijuana use by their mothers.

However, this field study does not consider the difference in potency of THC Edibles from marijuana from the 60s from what is currently consumed. The concentration of THC Edibles in cannabis today has quadrupled since the 80s!

In the absence of more scientific studies that demonstrate the safety of THC Edibles during pregnancy, we must take as a reference those that warn about possible alterations in the neurological development of the baby. From Weediid we can only advise against the consumption of cannabis with THC Edibles during pregnancy and lactation.

Read also: CBD: a treatment for schizophrenia

The Effects of CBD on the Baby

One of the most common symptoms of pregnancy are nausea, cramps, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, or fatigue, and CBD Edibles is presented as an alternative to synthetic medications. It can also happen that we are already medicating with CBD for some pathology and we want to get pregnant. Can we still take CBD Edibles?

If there are few studies on the effects of THC Edibles on fetal development, on CBD they are almost non-existent. This is because consumption has become popular in recent years and medical trials are still focused on discovering all the therapeutic possibilities of CBD Edibles.

There are no conclusive studies on the possible adverse effects of CBD in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. A laboratory animal trial showed that high-dose CBD Edibles caused problems in the reproductive system of male offspring.

However, the studies contradict each other. In 1994 the Journal Pediatrics of the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study on the effects of marijuana on Jamaican babies. Babies of 44 women were evaluated at 3 days and 3 months of age.

Of the 44 women, 24 had used cannabis regularly during pregnancy. The study concluded that the neonates of consuming mothers obtained better scores in autonomic stability, level of lucidity, irritability, and self-regulation, and showed much greater tranquility in their day to day.

Read also: Cannabis and Autism: a way of hope

Hemp seeds are totally harmless

This article wouldn't be complete if we didn't talk about hemp seeds. We already wrote in the blog about the nutritional benefits of hemp seeds and according to the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration), pregnant or lactating women can consume hemp seeds without worry.

THC and CBD are found primarily in the flowers, leaves, and stems of marijuana, not in the seeds. They may have traces of these cannabinoids from having been in contact with these parts of the plant, but they are low enough to be able to authorize their consumption during pregnancy or lactation.

The bottom line is that the effects of CBD Edibles on fetal development and on nursing babies are still unknown. Our recommendation is that you check with your doctor if you are already taking CBD Edibles as medicine and intend to become pregnant. And in case of doubt, our recommendation will always be to abstain until there are conclusive studies.