Most Pregnant Cannabis Users in This Study Continued Daily Use Despite Quit Attempts
Among 59 pregnant people who had used cannabis during pregnancy, 61% reported past-month use, with more than half of those using daily and many citing multiple failed quit attempts.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
61% reported current (past 30-day) cannabis use during pregnancy. Of those, 54% used daily and 85% used on at least 15 of the past 30 days. Having five or more motivations for use made someone over 10 times more likely to be a current user.
Key Numbers
59 participants; 61% current use; 54% of current users reported daily use; 85% used at least 15 of past 30 days; 5+ motivations for use = 10x higher odds of current use; many reported unsuccessful quit attempts
How They Did This
59 people who used cannabis at least once during their current pregnancy were recruited from prenatal clinics and surveyed about use patterns, motivations, reasons for abstinence, tobacco co-use, and quit attempts.
Why This Research Matters
Prenatal cannabis use is increasing, but little research examines why pregnant people continue using despite known risks. This study reveals that most users in the sample had tried to quit and failed, suggesting cannabis use in pregnancy often reflects dependence rather than casual choice.
The Bigger Picture
The framing of prenatal cannabis use as a simple lifestyle choice may miss the reality that many pregnant users are struggling with dependence and have tried unsuccessfully to stop, pointing to a need for supportive cessation resources rather than judgment.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample (59 participants), recruited from prenatal clinics (may not represent all pregnant cannabis users), self-report measures, no biological verification of use, cross-sectional design cannot track changes over pregnancy
Questions This Raises
- ?What cessation support do pregnant cannabis users need?
- ?Are current prenatal care protocols addressing cannabis dependence?
- ?Do motivations for use differ by trimester?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 61% of pregnant cannabis users in the study continued using, with 54% of those using daily
- Evidence Grade:
- Small cross-sectional survey from prenatal clinics; provides useful descriptive data but limited generalizability
- Study Age:
- Published 2025
- Original Title:
- Cannabis use patterns, motivations, and reasons for abstinence in pregnancy.
- Published In:
- Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1613324 (2025)
- Authors:
- Blair, Lisa M, Shukla, Meghna, Kurzer, Julie A M J, Schilt-Solberg, Marvin, Strickland, Biyyiah A, Akter, Salma, Fend, Dennette, Hamann, Kimberly, Ashford, Kristin
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06076
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common is daily cannabis use during pregnancy?
In this study of 59 pregnant cannabis users, 61% were still using, and 54% of those reported daily use. Most had tried to quit at least once.
Why do some pregnant people continue using cannabis?
The study found that having five or more motivations for use (which could include nausea relief, anxiety, sleep, or habit) made someone over 10 times more likely to continue using during pregnancy.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06076APA
Blair, Lisa M; Shukla, Meghna; Kurzer, Julie A M J; Schilt-Solberg, Marvin; Strickland, Biyyiah A; Akter, Salma; Fend, Dennette; Hamann, Kimberly; Ashford, Kristin. (2025). Cannabis use patterns, motivations, and reasons for abstinence in pregnancy.. Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1613324. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1613324
MLA
Blair, Lisa M, et al. "Cannabis use patterns, motivations, and reasons for abstinence in pregnancy.." Frontiers in psychiatry, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1613324
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use patterns, motivations, and reasons for abstinen..." RTHC-06076. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/blair-2025-cannabis-use-patterns-motivations
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.