Cannabis use history linked to higher rates of smoking during and after pregnancy
Pregnant women with any history of cannabis use were significantly more likely to smoke cigarettes during pregnancy and postpartum, regardless of whether they had a cannabis use disorder.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
History of cannabis use predicted cigarette smoking in early pregnancy (OR 11.12), late pregnancy (OR 6.55), and 6 months postpartum (OR 7.57). Having a cannabis use disorder diagnosis did not add additional risk beyond any cannabis use history.
Key Numbers
252 women analyzed. 48% reported prior cannabis use, 15% met criteria for lifetime cannabis use disorder. Odds of smoking ranged from 6.55 to 11.12 times higher for those with cannabis history.
How They Did This
Prospective cohort study of 257 pregnant women with overweight/obesity in Western Pennsylvania (2012-2016), using structured clinical interviews and generalized mixed effect models adjusting for demographics, parity, and mood disorders.
Why This Research Matters
As cannabis use among pregnant women increases, understanding its connection to cigarette smoking could improve cessation efforts during the perinatal period.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that any cannabis use history, not just disorder-level use, predicted perinatal smoking suggests screening for cannabis history could identify women at higher risk for continued cigarette use.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Sample limited to women with overweight/obesity in one geographic region. Lifetime CUD was measured, not current use. Small sample size limits power to detect CUD-specific effects.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would these associations hold in a general-weight population?
- ?Does concurrent cannabis use during pregnancy further increase smoking rates?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 11x higher odds of smoking in early pregnancy with cannabis history
- Evidence Grade:
- Prospective cohort with structured clinical interviews, though limited by sample size and population specificity.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022 with data from 2012-2016.
- Original Title:
- Cohort Study of Cannabis Use History and Perinatal Cigarette Use Among Overweight and Obese Women.
- Published In:
- Maternal and child health journal, 26(2), 389-396 (2022)
- Authors:
- De Genna, Natacha M(6), Germeroth, Lisa J, Benno, Maria Tina, Wang, Bang, Levine, Michele D
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03795
Evidence Hierarchy
Enrolls participants and follows them forward in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Did cannabis use disorder make smoking risk even higher?
No. A history of cannabis use disorder did not appear to increase perinatal cigarette use risk beyond what was seen with any cannabis use history.
How large were the smoking differences?
Women with cannabis history had 11 times higher odds of smoking in early pregnancy, 6.5 times in late pregnancy, and 7.5 times at 6 months postpartum.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03795APA
De Genna, Natacha M; Germeroth, Lisa J; Benno, Maria Tina; Wang, Bang; Levine, Michele D. (2022). Cohort Study of Cannabis Use History and Perinatal Cigarette Use Among Overweight and Obese Women.. Maternal and child health journal, 26(2), 389-396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03246-9
MLA
De Genna, Natacha M, et al. "Cohort Study of Cannabis Use History and Perinatal Cigarette Use Among Overweight and Obese Women.." Maternal and child health journal, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03246-9
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cohort Study of Cannabis Use History and Perinatal Cigarette..." RTHC-03795. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/de-2022-cohort-study-of-cannabis
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.