Low-income pregnant cannabis users identified emotional regulation and mental health as their primary motivations, with pregnancy serving as a turning point that complicated but didn't always stop use.
Prenatal care providers, public health professionals, maternal mental health advocates, and policymakers
What the researchers found
Five themes emerged: pregnancy as a turning point for cannabis use, cannabis for emotional regulation, complex cannabis-mental health ties, relational influences on use, and contextual barriers to informed decision-making — with emotional regulation and mental health as the most cited drivers.
Why it matters
Understanding why pregnant women use cannabis — not just that they do — is essential for designing supportive rather than punitive public health interventions.
The numbers in context
19 pregnant cannabis users interviewed; most Medicaid recipients; nearly half reported household income below $10,000; study conducted in Wisconsin where cannabis is illegal.
How the study worked
Reflexive thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 19 pregnant cannabis users from a community-based program in Wisconsin (where cannabis remains illegal), most on Medicaid with nearly half below $10,000 household income.
What this study cannot tell us
Small qualitative sample from a single state where cannabis is illegal; findings may differ in legal states; self-selected participants in a community program.
How to read the evidence
Well-conducted qualitative study with member checking, but small sample from a single illegal-state context limits generalizability.
When this study was published
Published in 2026, reflecting current experiences of pregnant cannabis users in a prohibition state.
The bigger picture
These findings challenge the narrative that prenatal cannabis use is simply reckless behavior — for many low-income women, it's a coping mechanism for untreated mental health conditions in a system with inadequate support.
Questions still open
- Would providing accessible mental health services reduce prenatal cannabis use? How does cannabis legalization status affect pregnant women's willingness to discuss use with providers?
Common questions
Why do pregnant women use cannabis?
Does pregnancy change cannabis use patterns?
Read the original research
Multidimensional influences on prenatal cannabis use: A reflexive thematic analysis of low-income birthing people.
Journal of public health research, 15(1), 22799036251395240
Citation
Alaniz, Kristine; Ngui, Emmanuel M; Laestadius, Linnea; Kako, Peninnah M; Yahaya, Musa; Vance, Tessa. (2026). Multidimensional influences on prenatal cannabis use: A reflexive thematic analysis of low-income birthing people.. Journal of public health research, 15(1), 22799036251395240. https://doi.org/10.1177/22799036251395240
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