Physicians and medical professionals routinely warn women not to use marijuana while they are pregnant or nursing. Why? The best available scientific evidence has established that exposure to marijuana’s psychoactive constituent, THC, in utero causes neuroadaptive changes in their baby’s brain, especially in the regions where their cognitive capacity and emotional regulation is formed. As a result, the life trajectories for prenatally exposed children may be permanently altered. These facts, like so many others germane to marijuana’s toxic effects have been well established in the scientific literature for years—and largely ignored. But why? Continue reading STONED BABIES AND UNDERACHIEVING ADULTS→
A new state-funded report out of Colorado found that the state continues to hold the top ranking when it comes to past month use of marijuana. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a press release announcing the report.
Doctors tell women not to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol when pregnant, so why would anyone think it’s ok to smoke pot? It turns out that 69% of marijuana dispensaries in Colorado were giving this bad advice.
Marijuana Accountability Coalition (MAC), in partnership with Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), launched the “Don’t Hurt Our Future” Campaign. CBS TV in Denver featured their activity on the nightly news. Watch the video of May 30, 2018 from the TV clip:
As recently reported, nearly 70% percent of marijuana dispensaries in Colorado were found to be recommending high-potency THC products to mothers. These dispensaries and some websites promote pot as a remedy for symptoms of morning sickness.
Volunteers from MAC and SAM began at the governor’s mansion and distributed 1,000 bibs on the doors of pot dispensaries in Colorado.
Pregnant women need to be educated, but not shamed. Many of these women are victims of bad information and it’s not their fault. Our website provides several resources for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Let’s not exaggerate the possible dangers, but women need to know they risk certain heart defects, cancers in their babies.
We live in a time period in which some people trust ganjapreneurs, but don’t trust doctors. Marijuana dispensaries do not require scientific or medical training to give out medical advice. They require that workers are 21 years or older, but nothing else. Doctors, on the other hand, have years of intense education and professional organizations back up their claims. Both groups are out to make money, but which group has the most quacks?
“The marijuana industry will stop at nothing to make a buck,” said Justin Luke Riley, founder of the MAC. “Going against all available science, the industry is now recommending pot for pregnant women. They must be held accountable for their actions and not simply be given a slap on the wrist. They are actively putting their profits ahead of the healthy development of future Coloradans.”
A new peer-reviewed study about to be published in the January 2018 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that marijuana use at exit from a 3-year case management intervention program for pregnant and parenting women increased significantly after marijuana legalization in Washington state.
“This study adds to the data we have about legalization driving up use and negatively impacting society,” said SAM President Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D. “States should slow down and realize that their actions have real consequences, especially among populations highlighted in this study — parents and children.”
The researchers divided the study sample into two cohorts based on whether participants had completed the program before or after legalization.
Researchers reported the following results:
“Most study participants reported complete abstinence from alcohol and nonprescription drugs at program exit. Among those who were still using substances, women who completed the intervention after marijuana legalization were significantly more likely to report marijuana use at program exit compared with women who completed the intervention before marijuana legalization. Across both cohorts (pre- and post-legalization), we found a positive association of exit marijuana use with alcohol, illegal methadone, other opioids, amphetamines, and cocaine use; even when we controlled for historical period, the association with some of these substances with marijuana use remained evident. Independent of marijuana use, we saw increased use during the post-legalization period of alcohol, illicit methadone, and other opioids.”
The study concluded that “Women who were not abstinent from marijuana at program exit were likely to report use of other substances as well. Our study design demonstrates an association but does not allow us to conclude that marijuana use leads to other substance use among this sample of women with a history of polysubstance use.”
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a nonpartisan, non-profit alliance of physicians, policy makers, prevention workers, treatment and recovery professionals, scientists, and other concerned citizens opposed to marijuana legalization who want health and scientific evidence to guide marijuana policies. SAM has affiliates in more than 30 states.
