The short answer is no. Smoking or vaping weed during pregnancy is not safe and can pose serious risks to both the mother and the developing baby.
Many women wonder whether cannabis is a “natural” or harmless way to ease nausea, anxiety, or discomfort during pregnancy. However, major health organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clearly advise against using cannabis in any form while pregnant or trying to conceive.
Why Smoking or Vaping Weed Is Risky During Pregnancy
- Cannabis chemicals (especially THC) pass through the placenta and reach the baby.
- Smoking or vaping introduces harmful toxins and reduces oxygen levels, which can affect fetal development.
- Possible risks include:
- Low birth weight
- Preterm birth
- Developmental and learning difficulties later in childhood
- Increased risk of stillbirth or other complications
- Problems with attention, memory, and behavior in the child
Even if you don’t smoke it, other forms of cannabis can still reach the baby through the bloodstream.
Safer Alternatives for Pregnancy Discomfort
If you’re struggling with morning sickness, stress, or sleep issues while trying to quit smoking or vaping, talk to your doctor about safe, pregnancy-approved options. Never use cannabis as a substitute.
Your healthcare provider can recommend appropriate treatments that won’t harm your baby.
Important Advice for Expecting Mothers
- Stop all cannabis use (smoking, vaping, edibles, tinctures, etc.) as soon as you know you’re pregnant — or better yet, before trying to conceive.
- Avoid secondhand cannabis smoke and vapor.
- Be honest with your doctor about any cannabis use so they can provide proper support and monitoring.
- Focus on proven ways to stay healthy during pregnancy: good nutrition, rest, prenatal care, and a smoke-free environment.
Quitting smoking, vaping, or using weed is one of the most loving things you can do for your baby’s health and future development.
Marijuana use during pregnancy is a controversial issue, but it really should not be. There are those who use and support marijuana that likes to say marijuana has no more effect on infants and developing children than it does in full grown adults. But that is categorically untrue.
Studies conducted on rats, various other animals and humans have shown that brain development is especially hindered and altered while marijuana is used. Marijuana enters the bloodstream when used, and that means it goes straight from the using mother to the developing child and affects how that child matures.
For those who may not be all that concerned about how their child is going to be affected by marijuana during pregnancy, a look at the potential side effects may be enough to sway them.
The primary effect is that of cognition and comprehension changes. A child born from a weed-using mother will react differently to outside stimuli, often being easily frightened and unable to cope with certain kinds of lighting, sounds and visuals. They will also have trouble remaining attentive, solving problems and remembering things. Essentially, they will struggle greatly in school and may never be able to receive a basic education.
All of these is likely caused by neurological damage, but whether that is the case and the full extent of that damage are not known. The research is simply not conclusive enough to provide definitive answers on some of the most burning questions regarding the effects of marijuana on developing children.
There have been several studies that were meticulously conducted on the subject, but it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the neurological damage and just what that would mean for the children. This is mostly due to a lack of cases relating to the subject, which is a good thing since it means not a lot of mothers are exposing their children to marijuana as they develop.
But as marijuana trends higher and becomes more ingrained in the daily habits of the populace, these effects are going to start to become more widespread.
Before it becomes a major problem and someone’s child is irrevocably damaged, families, and mothers, in particular, need to take action. They not only need to ensure that the pregnant mother does not smoke weed, but also that no one is smoking weed around the pregnant mother.
The risks are simply too high, and the chance that the child will be greatly harmed is not a risk that should be taken. For those wanting to emphasize how not every child exposed to marijuana develops these problems and how the neurological damage is not always severe, they should carefully consider why they are taking that stance. Is it because they believe there is no danger or because they want to cast marijuana as a victimless drug.
The harmful effects of this drug on developing children are very real, and only complete abstinence during pregnancy will ensure that unborn children are not prematurely scarred by its effects.