Peer-reviewed article
Attitudes and beliefs regarding cannabis use during pregnancy compared to alcohol and tobacco: a nationwide survey of U.S. women of childbearing age.
Casavant SG, Kilembe N, Kinsey S, Shook N ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 622 U.S. women of childbearing age about their attitudes toward substance use during pregnancy. Among women who had been pregnant, about 26% reported using cannabis during pregnancy, and these women perceived cannabis as relatively safer than alcohol or tobacco. The research highlights a gap between women's perceptions of cannabis safety and actual health risks during pregnancy.
Key points
- 25.9% of pregnant survey participants reported cannabis use during pregnancy, compared with 23.6% for tobacco and 8.2% for alcohol
- Women rated prenatal cannabis use as safer (mean 3.85 on 5-point scale) than alcohol (4.86) or tobacco (4.79)
- Common reasons for prenatal cannabis use included relief of nausea, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain
- Joints and blunts were the most common methods of cannabis consumption during pregnancy
- The study identifies a need for targeted education and accurate messaging about substance use risks in pregnancy
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional survey of attitudes and self-reported behaviours, not an evaluation of health outcomes for children. The study cannot establish causal links between maternal cannabis use and child well-being outcomes, nor can it assess actual developmental or health impacts on fetuses or infants.
Abstract
Background Cannabis use is increasing, even during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate how women of childbearing age perceive the safety of cannabis use during pregnancy compared to alcohol and tobacco use. Methods Cloud Research recruited a national U.S. cohort of women of childbearing age (N = 622) to complete an anonymous online survey assessing cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use during pregnancy. Validated tools measured perceptions of safety and risks to fetal, birth, and infant development. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, McNemar's tests, and repeated-measures ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons. Results The average age was 29.47 years (SD = 6.83, range: 18-42). Participants self-identified as White (65.9%, n = 410), Black or African American 28.1% (n = 175), Asian 5.9% (n = 37), American Indian or Alaska Native 3.9% (n = 24), or Other 4.7% (n = 29); 17.7% (n = 110) identified as Hispanic or Latino. Most participants identified as heterosexual (82.0%, n = 510). Among participants who had been pregnant (N = 351), 25.9% reported cannabis use during pregnancy, compared with 23.6% for tobacco and 8.2% for alcohol. The median frequency of prenatal cannabis use was twice weekly, with joints and blunts being the most common methods. Reported reasons for use included relief of nausea, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain. We used a five-point Likert scale to determine whether they thought cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco were safe to use during pregnancy, where 1 = not at all safe, and 5 = completely safe. Prenatal cannabis use was rated as safer (M = 3.85, SD = 1.46) than alcohol. (M = 4.86, SD = 0.54, p < .001) or tobacco (M = 4.79, SD = 0.63, p < .001). Conclusion Findings indicate that women of childbearing age perceive cannabis as relatively safe during pregnancy, particularly for symptom management. These perceptions underscore the need for targeted education, accurate messaging, and consideration of the social, cultural, and emotional factors that influence substance use during pregnancy to safeguard maternal and fetal health.