Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women Are Equally Uncertain About Cannabis Risks in Pregnancy
About 40% of pregnant participants chose "not sure" when asked about the risks of weekly cannabis use during pregnancy, and CBD uncertainty was even higher.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 261 women surveyed, there was no significant difference between pregnant and non-pregnant participants in how they perceived the risks of cannabis or CBD use during pregnancy. The most common response for both groups was "not sure." Focus groups revealed that participants saw cannabis as fundamentally different from alcohol or other drugs and felt legalization signaled safety.
Key Numbers
261 survey respondents (75.9% currently pregnant); 40% of pregnant participants said "not sure" about weekly cannabis risk; 52.3% of pregnant participants said "not sure" about weekly CBD risk; ever-use: 36% of pregnant vs 65.5% of non-pregnant for cannabis
How They Did This
Multi-method study combining a cross-sectional survey (261 respondents from outpatient obstetrics clinics) with five focus group discussions (17 participants total), conducted October 2022 to February 2023. Chi-square analysis compared risk perceptions between pregnant and non-pregnant participants.
Why This Research Matters
High uncertainty about cannabis and CBD risks during pregnancy, even among currently pregnant women, suggests a major gap in patient education. The finding that legalization itself shapes safety perceptions adds a policy dimension to the communication challenge.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis legalization expands, the gap between medical guidance (which advises against use in pregnancy) and public perception (which increasingly views cannabis as benign) may widen. This study highlights the disconnect.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Convenience sample from a single geographic area. Self-report data subject to social desirability bias. Small focus group sample. Cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Questions This Raises
- ?What messaging strategies most effectively communicate uncertainty about cannabis safety in pregnancy?
- ?Does CBD-specific uncertainty lead to higher CBD use rates during pregnancy?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: convenience sample from limited clinics, cross-sectional design, and small qualitative component.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study with data collected 2022-2023
- Original Title:
- Perception of Risks of Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use during Pregnancy: A Multi-Methods Study.
- Published In:
- Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 8(1), 130-143 (2025)
- Authors:
- Goodin, Amie(2), Varma, Deepthi S(3), Dhillon, Karamveer, Kaleem, Sahar, Dubare, Sonila, Jennings, Alexis, Goldberger, Bruce A, Roussos-Ross, Kay
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06564
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06564APA
Goodin, Amie; Varma, Deepthi S; Dhillon, Karamveer; Kaleem, Sahar; Dubare, Sonila; Jennings, Alexis; Goldberger, Bruce A; Roussos-Ross, Kay. (2025). Perception of Risks of Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use during Pregnancy: A Multi-Methods Study.. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 8(1), 130-143. https://doi.org/10.1159/000546312
MLA
Goodin, Amie, et al. "Perception of Risks of Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use during Pregnancy: A Multi-Methods Study.." Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1159/000546312
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Perception of Risks of Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use during P..." RTHC-06564. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/goodin-2025-perception-of-risks-of
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.