Most pregnant Canadians know cannabis reaches the fetus, but some keep using anyway
Among 478 pregnant Canadian women, 94% knew cannabis is transmitted to the fetus, legalization did not influence most women's cannabis decisions, and women who continued using were paradoxically more likely to have received information from a healthcare provider.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
94.3% perceived cannabis is transmitted to the fetus and 91.2% to the infant via breastmilk. 99% said legalization did not influence their choice to use cannabis in pregnancy. 4.2% continued using during pregnancy. Surprisingly, women who continued using were more likely to have received cannabis information from a provider (52%) than those who quit (35%, p=0.035).
Key Numbers
478 women surveyed. 94.3% knew cannabis reaches fetus. 91.2% knew it reaches infant via breastmilk. 99% said legalization was not a factor. 4.2% continued use. Providers: 52% of users vs 35% of quitters received provider information (p=0.035).
How They Did This
Anonymous survey of 478 pregnant women at obstetrical, midwifery, and family practice clinics in the greater Hamilton, Ontario area.
Why This Research Matters
The finding that provider counseling was associated with continued use challenges assumptions about the effectiveness of current clinical messaging approaches.
The Bigger Picture
The paradoxical provider counseling finding may mean that women who use cannabis are more likely to disclose and receive counseling, not that counseling causes continued use.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional survey from one region. Self-reported data. Small number who continued use. Cannot determine direction of the counseling association.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why does provider counseling appear associated with continued use?
- ?Are current counseling approaches effective, or do they need to be redesigned?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 94% knew cannabis reaches fetus; 4.2% kept using
- Evidence Grade:
- Regional cross-sectional survey with reasonable sample size but self-reported data and potential selection bias.
- Study Age:
- 2020 survey from Canada.
- Original Title:
- Pregnant Canadians' Perceptions About the Transmission of Cannabis in Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding and the Impact of Information From Health Care Providers on Discontinuation of Use.
- Published In:
- Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC, 42(11), 1346-1350 (2020)
- Authors:
- Bartlett, Katelyn, Kaarid, Kaija, Gervais, Nicole, Vu, Nancy, Sharma, Sapna, Patel, Tejal, Shea, Alison K
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02409
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do pregnant women know cannabis affects the baby?
In this Canadian survey, 94.3% of pregnant women knew cannabis is transmitted to the fetus, yet 4.2% continued using during pregnancy.
Did cannabis legalization increase use in pregnancy?
99% of the 478 women surveyed said legalization did not influence their decision about cannabis use during pregnancy.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02409APA
Bartlett, Katelyn; Kaarid, Kaija; Gervais, Nicole; Vu, Nancy; Sharma, Sapna; Patel, Tejal; Shea, Alison K. (2020). Pregnant Canadians' Perceptions About the Transmission of Cannabis in Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding and the Impact of Information From Health Care Providers on Discontinuation of Use.. Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC, 42(11), 1346-1350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogc.2020.04.015
MLA
Bartlett, Katelyn, et al. "Pregnant Canadians' Perceptions About the Transmission of Cannabis in Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding and the Impact of Information From Health Care Providers on Discontinuation of Use.." Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogc.2020.04.015
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Pregnant Canadians' Perceptions About the Transmission of Ca..." RTHC-02409. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/bartlett-2020-pregnant-canadians-perceptions-about
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.