Cannabis use during Pregnancy
You are watching over a new life, so pregnancy is when you care for your body with the greatest diligence. Alcohol, tobacco and even coffee are bad for you and your growing child.
So what about medical marijuana? Marijuana is simply a plant that has been utilized for hundreds of years and regardless of the strain or varieties that are cultivated today, medical marijuana does not contain any drugs or harmful chemicals found in cigarettes, alcohol, or even coffee. So is cannabis use safe during pregnancy? Researchers have spent years investigating this with no adverse findings. Despite clear results of these and other experiments, many women fear to seek the benefits medical marijuana can provide during pregnancy. Clearly, cannabis used during pregnancy does not affect the most precious thing in your belly, your Baby.
EAT, VAPORIZE OR SMOKE CANNABIS
Many women suffer nausea especially during early pregnancy so the consumption of a cookie or a brownie containing cannabis is not an option. The majority of pregnant women who use medical marijuana do so through inhalation. However, smoked medical marijuana requires a time period for the active compounds to soak through the absorption walls of the digestive system and into the blood stream. Although a vaporizer is the healthiest method to consume medical marijuana, we advise against smoking during pregnancy period!
Medical marijuana reduces nausea and vomiting known as morning sickness. Women who vomit constantly, withdraws from the fetus essential nutrients and vitamins required for healthy fetal development. A worse form of morning sickness called hyper-emesis gravid-arum, endangers the baby's life and forces the mother to seek medical attention to sustain her baby through intravenous feeding. Medical marijuana increases appetite and allows expecting mothers to retain more food for digestion and to meet the nutritional needs of the fetus.
For years the myth existed that women who use marijuana during pregnancy have children with low birth weight, short in height and even Autism. That is a complete falsehood. Numerous investigations determined there is no physical, scientific correlation, between children whose mother used marijuana during pregnancy and those that didn’t. The differences in birth weight or height and the incidence of Autism is the same as the general population.
Variations in birth size are influenced by genetic factors and the length of pregnancy. A child born a few weeks early can be much smaller than a baby born a few weeks late. Environmental influences also determine child growth development. Prenatal care or lack thereof, diet and even the amount of stress the mother is subject to during pregnancy can affect fetal development.
In one expectant user to expectant non-user study, less than two-tenths of an inch difference in the height of newborns was observed. The head circumference, weight and physical agility varied considerably among all newborns, which made the difference in height inconsequential. Thirty days after birth, all babies showed normal development, regardless of their exposure to marijuana. Anomalies that occur in pregnancy are not a result of marijuana use during pregnancy.
During pregnancy the consumption of CBD through 100% natural extracts of cannabis, is the safest; however, you can also get the CBD in presentations such as oil, capsules or lotions. CBD-based products, without trace amounts of THC, are legal even in many places where cannabis is not. In any case, when consuming CBD during pregnancy, take into account a series of warnings:
1) Avoid products advertised as "CBD-rich", which usually implies that they contain THC. Pregnant women should avoid THC even if present in minimal amounts.
2) Avoid smoking. The chemicals produced in cannabis combustion, though less toxic than cigarettes or vaporizers, still may negatively affect the development of your baby.
3) Avoid CBD products of dubious manufacture. During pregnancy you should avoid all potentially dangerous chemicals. Avoid foods and medications that you do not have absolute guarantees about their origin and ingredients.
4) Use CBD only in its most organic form: 100% natural extracts of cannabis. CBD is not psychoactive and in the mother can reduce nausea and increase appetite to generate nutrients for the baby.
Consumption of medicinal cannabis during pregnancy can be beneficial to both the mother and the fetus. Would you like to know more about the myths and truths of Cannabis?
If you want more information about this and other uses of cannabis, we invite you to read our next blog. We also invite you to participate in our seminars that will expand your knowledge in this field. For more information visit our website www.pharmacologyunvieristy.com or write us at info@pharmacologyuniversity.com
