QUESTION: Pot Patients and Pregnancy?

[MMJmedia]

QUESTION: Pot Patients and Pregnancy?
I know this is a very touchy subject. I received the below email from one of my facebook friends:


If you have the time, could you please help me find reliable information on pregnant cannabis users? I have been using marijuana for 10 years, I also just found out I am 3-4 weeks pregnant. I intend to quit as soon as possible (i do not want to harm the baby) but i will need to find another medicine to help me just as quickly, or if there is a way where i could ingest THC without harming the baby that would be most beneficial to me. Thanks and brightest blessings!


I am aware there was a study done in Jamaica about marijuana mothers and their babies. Marijuana Cannabis Use In Pregnancy Dr. Dreher | Pregnancy and Parenting (http://pregnancy-and-parenting.com/?p=1862)


The saddest thing to me is that there really isnâ??t that much research into this area and thatâ??s mostly because our government goes out of its way to block research on this herb. Dr. Melanie Dreher, RN, PhD, FAAN explains some of the difficulty in studying this subject.


If you have any further links or info that will help a pregnant medical cannabis patients learn about the harms and benefits of consuming cannabis in a variety of forms (smoking, injesting, topically, vaporizing, etc) please let me know. I would like to compile a blog post with the most valuable info available. Thank you.


Image credits: SCV Imagery by Scott Vuocolo ("3 months and counting" pregnancy photo)
themadpothead (no real name given) ("Weed Jar")

[Esmada]

I've given birth to two healty and strong boys.And I smoked during my pregnancy.I asked my mother about this ,since she is a nurse,and she could tell me that what's harmefull is if u use tobakko cause the co2 and nicotine will prevent oxygene intake in the blood.A friend of mine has given birth to 3 healthy children while smoking during her pregnancy. This is what I can tell,hope it helps:-)

[khyberkitsune]

CO2 doesn't interfere with oxygen intake in the blood, it's carbon monoxide which binds to hemoglobin and interferes with it.

[hpgirl]

What about using a vaporizer? All of the discussions I've seen have talked about the negative effects of smoking..

would really like to know more about this subject because I"m hoping to start a family soon but am a little nervous about the thought of what I will do for my anxiety during that time..

[MrEden]

I've given birth to two healty and strong boys.And I smoked during my pregnancy.I asked my mother about this ,since she is a nurse,and she could tell me that what's harmefull is if u use tobakko cause the co2 and nicotine will prevent oxygene intake in the blood.A friend of mine has given birth to 3 healthy children while smoking during her pregnancy. This is what I can tell,hope it helps:-)

Yes, thats true, but like the guys with the UFO-light said, smoking causes carbon monoxide. Im not sure if the vaporizer is better or worse in contrast to smoking joints/bongs?

Anyways, the only bad thing about smoking cannabis (IMO), is smoking it. I think its good that you excluded the tobacco, but when/if the next one comes, I'd advice that you find ways to eat cannabis, just to be on the safe side.

[beachguy in thongs]

My girlfriend was smoking cannabis, before she was pregnant, and, when she became pregnant, I researched this area (more than I already know about it) to find the negative consequences.

I was going to suggest that she stops, about, five months into the pregnancy, but, she had hyperemesis gravidarum (excess vomiting) and was told that she might be admitted to the hospital, because of her weight-loss, which was a result of the medicine that she was prescribed.

She started relying on the cannabis, because she found that she would eat and not throw up. On the prescribed-medicine, she was still throwing up after a glass of water. It, almost, seemed pointless. She'd take her pills, with water, and then throw up.

After she decided to give up the prescription-medications, she relied solely on cannabis to treat her illness (which affects 1%-2% of females, if that), and, put on weight, giving birth to a baby girl who, at one-and-a-half years of age, is being regularly tested and consistently grades at a level one to one and-a-half years above her age.

Melanie Dreher said that the first two to five years of a cannabis-exposed baby's life would be less problematic and that they score higher on all the tests. If you watch her speak at the cannabinoid convention (patientsoutoftime.com), she almost laughs at the fact that she might be suggesting that cannabis-exposure may be beneficial, to the baby.

She goes on to say that the cannabis-exposed babies grow up to be the more prominent members of Jamaican society. These babies not only had mothers who smoked while they were in the womb, but babies who were also breast-fed (by cannabis-smoking mothers) and, if I remember correctly, were given a cannabis-milk, or cannabis-tea.

The thing that I would be concerned about is the action of the cannabinoid receptors in the birthing canal may cause a problem pushing the baby out, when it comes time to deliver, and force a C-section.

[budlover13]

My ex-wife and I both smoked until she was about 4 months and my son is in advanced classed and actually pretty damn mature for his age.(10)