Proponents of marijuana suggest there are many benefits of regular or occasional use of marijuana ranging from pain management, relief of neurological symptoms, relaxation, anti-depressant properties to name a few.
As marijuana becomes more socially acceptable, that in turn may increase the likelihood of use among the general population, many questions begin to rise to the surface that previously were rarely considered.
Here would be one example of a real life situation that is not that difficult to imagine.
If someone had severe pain that prevented their ability to stand for long periods of time is it okay use marijuana to relieve their sciatica pain? What happens if that person is pregnant? Is it okay to smoke marijuana if someone is pregnant?
One question asked by scientists and clinicians at the University of Pittsburgh was, ‘does prenatal exposure to marijuana have a negative consequence on academic achievement in the offspring?’.
The results of this study were published in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
Here are the study details:
– Pregnant women were evaluated for marijuana use during their 2nd and 3rd trimesters
– Offspring were assessed at birth, 8, and 18 months, 3, 6, 10, 14, 16 and 22 years of age
– The current report focuses on the 14-year follow-up that was conducted from 1996 through 2000
– A total of 524 mothers and their children were evaluated for this study
– Marijuana exposure was categorized as <1 joint per day or >1 joint per day
– School achievement was assessed by the Weschler Individual Achievement (WIAT)
Here are the results:
– A significant negative achievement was on found on intelligence at age 6 and attention problems
– A significant effect on depression symptoms at age 10 were observed
– First trimester prenatal exposure significantly predicted poorer scores on the composite score and the reading score of the WIAT at 14 years of age
– A higher likelihood of initiation of marijuana use
Take away message:
To answer our question above ‘is it okay to smoke marijuana during pregnancy?’ The answers seems to be ‘no’ and we now have evidence to support this. The main results of this study suggest that prenatal marijuana exposure has detrimental effect on school achievement in children. These deficits are mediated by effects on IQ, attention, depression and early marijuana use. Studies like this are extremely helpful in understanding the potential consequences of marijuana use that could be affecting the next generation. This next generation unfortunately has little say in these questions as they are reaping the consequences of something they didn’t choose.
There are many variables to be considered when reviewing a study like this. For example, it is important to point out that the women in this study were largely of lower socioeconomic status that could also contribute to the outcomes of this study. However, it should be noted that some of the results were similar to another study called the Ottawa Prenatal Prospective study which was a sample of white middle class participants.
School achievement in 14-year-old youths prenatally exposed to marijuana. Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 2012; 34: 161-7.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.