Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 28, 2026
Preclinical Model of Prenatal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure to Assess Its Impact on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Published on: February 28, 2025
Observational Study of Cannabis Use Among Pregnant Women Who Used Nicotine
Objective:
To characterize perceptions of cannabis use and motivations for use among a cohort of pregnant women who used nicotine.
Design:
Descriptive observational.
Setting:
Prenatal clinics in Kentucky where cannabis was illegal at the time of data collection.
Participants:
Pregnant women (N = 81) who used nicotine.
Methods:
We surveyed participants at each trimester. Participants completed routine clinical urine drug screening and self-report use measures for cannabis use. We report descriptive statistics.
Results:
Of the 81 participants, 18.5% (n = 15) self-reported cannabis use in the past 30 days and 21% (n = 17) tested positive for cannabis on routine prenatal urine drug screening. Most participants believed that cannabis use was acceptable during pregnancy (83.8%, n = 67) and not a health hazard at all (61.7%, n = 50). Common motivations for use among those who self-reported included reduced stress (93.3%, n = 14), aid for sleeping (66.7%, n = 10), and reduced fear (66.7%, n = 10). In addition, 60% (n = 9) reported use to relax or relieve physical or emotional pain.
Conclusions:
Changing perceptions regarding the acceptability of cannabis use in the prenatal period place pregnant women and their children at risk of harm. Our findings demonstrate a critical need for future research and clear public health messaging about the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy.
