At least 1 in 6 pregnant mothers in Michigan are using cannabis, according to researchers at Michigan State University.
Their findings, recently published in the journal Addiction, indicate “socially disadvantaged populations” in the state are more likely to use marijuana during pregnancy — a concerning trend for doctors who highlight the adverse outcomes in developing babies and infants exposed to cannabis.
Ban Al-Sahab, the epidemiologist who led the study, researches child and maternal health at MSU. She has focused on examining cannabis use during the prenatal period after Michigan lifted prohibitions on recreational marijuana use in 2018.
With legalization, cannabis becomes more affordable, accessible, perceived as safe … we were really interested in understanding the scope of this problem,” Al-Sahab told Bridge Michigan.
The research, which is part of a broader study following child development in Michigan over the course of several years, surveyed expecting mothers at different points in their pregnancy to understand their cannabis use. In addition to self-reporting, researchers also took urine samples to test for THC, a psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
“Women are less likely to report cannabis use due to stigma, social desirability bias, fear of legal consequences, CPS (Children’s Protective Services) involvement,” Al-Sahab explained of the methodology.
Al-Sahab said researchers looked into various demographic factors, landing on four that were the most associated with increased cannabis use — marital status, education, depressive symptoms and adverse childhood experiences.
“We saw that unmarried women were twice more likely to use cannabis during pregnancy than married women,” she said. “Women who had lower educational attainment were more likely also to use cannabis during pregnancy.”
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