The recent increase in legalized recreational marijuana sales demonstrates the critical need to come with a strong warning for pregnant and breastfeeding women. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  one in 25 women uses marijuana while pregnant.  Seventy percent of women who use marijuana during pregnancy don’t believe there is any harm in doing so. Women who use marijuana during pregnancy report doing so in order to reduce the effects of morning sickness and anxiety or for social reasons.

As nurses with years of experience caring for women, mothers, and babies, we know the value of prevention in fostering positive pregnancy outcomes. It is not an easy task to care for a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and have a family already riddled with guilt and anguish, wondering what they could have potentially done differently to have a more positive birth outcome. 

Mothers, as well as health care providers, need to ensure all mothers experience a safe pregnancy and positive outcomes for themselves and their children. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/489812-pot-and-pregnancy-are-cbd-warnings-strong-enough