Weed Ed | Ganja babies!

Marijuana consumption during pregnancy is as socially unacceptable as alcohol and cigarette use. The idea of it is often met with scorn, and ganja use is even considered a threat to the foetus.

Research findings around ganja intake during pregnancy range from the bad – long-term neurodevelopment effects – to the good, which is that cannabis-exposed babies show greater levels of alertness. But most studies do not consider other substance use such as cigarettes and alcohol. The negative effects of marijuana consumption are also usually linked to smoking, which restricts the vital oxygen intake babies need for normal development.

Studies show that THC and CBD can cross the placenta to the foetus, but more research is needed to explain what actually happens when a baby interacts with cannabinoids.

“I’m conscious of the effect the smoke can have on the unborn child,” says Ann-Marie*, a 35-year-old mom of one and a daily ganja user. “But I also believe the fact that we all have an endocannabinoid system, including babies, [which] means we are meant to process cannabinoids.”

While she was pregnant, Ann-Marie said that she stopped smoking and instead used a steam chalice, traditional apparatus that allows heat to pass through and extract the cannabinoids from the ganja flower without burning it. When our endocannabinoid system interacts with the chemical compounds of the ganja plant, it helps to regulate physiological functions such as appetite, stress, and memory.

Ganja’s controversial reputation and prohibition, however, have forced the medical fraternity to have a hands-off approach.

“We generally advise against ganja use during pregnancy,” said noted obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Vernon Dacosta, “but we know of mothers who continue to take it throughout pregnancy, and we have not seen any adverse effects to date”.

MORE MOMS USING GANJA

Global trends indicate that marijuana use is on the rise among expectant mothers, particularly millennials. In California, marijuana use among pregnant women doubled between 2009 and 2016, according to healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists reported that two to five per cent of women use marijuana during pregnancy, with that number climbing to as high as 28 per cent for poor and marginalised groups.

The increase has been credited to the shift in attitude towards ganja legalisation and existing evidence of its medical efficacy. Moms-to-be are using ganja to relieve morning sickness, sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, and aches and pains. And they’re consuming it in teas, tinctures, and food, as well as smoking and vaping.

Shakira*, a mid-30s hospitality manager who gave birth six months ago, said she lit up just before going into labour to make the process more bearable as she opted for a drug-free pregnancy. She grew up in a family of ganja smokers and is accustomed to seeing female family members using ganja in various forms while pregnant, she herself being a ‘ganja baby’.

“I had no morning sickness or nausea,” Shakira said, which she credits to her intermittent use of ganja while pregnant. “I used it for pain management and relaxation just before labour.”

Despite the lack of hard evidence, many consider ganja use during pregnancy a risky practice. Various studies have linked foetal exposure to ganja to trouble with memory, attention, controlling impulses, and school performance.

One of the most referenced studies on the topic – the results of which were published in 1994 – took place in Jamaica and was led by United States-based researcher Dr Melanie Dreher. She led an ethnographic study on 44 pregnant Jamaican women, 24 of whom smoked ganja while pregnant. Their babies were analysed at three days old and showed no differences and again at one month old, with the infants exposed to ganja showing “better physiological stability” and having “better scores on autonomic stability, quality of alertness, irritability, and self-regulation”. The research also suggested that any differences identified may very well be attributable to social and economic environments.

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

Ganja has been a medicinal ally during pregnancy throughout history. In Egypt, it was used as an aid in childbirth, and in Tibet, it was used to treat postpartum depression.

Tioma Allison-Dillard, a nurse and midwife who has been doing home births for 30 years, says that postpartum depression is a real issue, and for some women, ganja can lift their mood and get them functional again.

“Some women can’t get out of bed, they have no appetite, or they need help to adjust to their new life. It’s a very paralysing situation for some women,” she said, “and ganja helps with this.”

Allison-Dillard also said that it is important for mothers to pay close attention to their environment and the food they are eating as those things could have much more severe effects on their baby than ganja.

“The lifestyle, the food the mother is eating, the exposure to opioids and heavy metals are all factors that can adversely affect the health of a foetus,” she added.

Womb-wellness specialist and childbirth educator Ramona Spence-Riley says that concerned moms-to-be should slowly wean themselves off ganja.

“If you’re using ganja and become pregnant and stop suddenly, you could go through withdrawal and if you’re feeling the symptoms of withdrawal, the baby is feeling it as well,” she pointed out.

“Slowly wean yourself off it and find natural ways to deal with that withdrawal.”

Researchers have also found that THC is secreted in breastmilk up to six days after the last use, which means that a newborn could be having a mind-altering experience during feeding.

“I would hold off on smoking while breastfeeding,” Spence Riley said. “CBD oil is a much better option to treat any ailments, but make sure you know and trust the source.”

Dr Dacosta also noted that if ganja is being used for therapeutic, instead of recreational, purposes, he also recommends CBD oil as a safer option for pain management and relaxation.

The ganja-cultivation landscape today has changed significantly to meet the new industry demands. There are much higher THC concentrations, and farmers are experimenting with new synthetic products in order to boost their yield. Both these scenarios could be problematic for a foetus. The challenge is that no one knows exactly how.

“There are a lot of compounding factors,” said Allison-Dillard. “Yes, there needs to be caution, but we are dealing with a plant that has a strong connection to the body. Ganja has neuro-generative effects as well, so it can’t be all bad, and there has to be some balance in how we treat this issue.”

*Names changed to protect identity.