What does early evidence say about medical cannabis for children and pregnant women? | Research

The takeaway

A review found emerging but very limited evidence that cannabis may help behavioral symptoms of autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in children, and severe nausea in pregnancy.

Pediatricians, obstetricians, medical cannabis researchers, and parents exploring treatment options.

Three conditions reviewed in typically excluded populations

What the researchers found

The review identified early-stage evidence for medical cannabis in three populations typically excluded from research: children with autism spectrum disorder (reduced behavioral symptoms), children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (improved behavioral outcomes), and pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum (reduced severe nausea).

Why it matters

Children and pregnant women are typically excluded from cannabis research due to ethical concerns. This review highlights emerging clinical use in these populations and the urgent need for rigorous safety data.

The numbers in context

Three conditions reviewed: ASD in children, FASD in children, and hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnancy.

How the study worked

Narrative review of available clinical evidence for medical cannabis use in children and pregnant women, covering autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and hyperemesis gravidarum.

What this study cannot tell us

Narrative review; very limited evidence base for all three conditions; ethical constraints make controlled trials extremely difficult; long-term safety data for prenatal and pediatric cannabis exposure are lacking.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: narrative review with very limited evidence base; no controlled trials available for most applications.

When this study was published

Published 2020.

The bigger picture

As medical cannabis use expands, clinicians are increasingly encountering these vulnerable populations. The gap between clinical practice and research evidence is especially wide here, raising both opportunity and risk.

Questions still open

Can controlled trials be ethically designed for these populations? What are the long-term developmental effects of prenatal cannabis exposure?

Common questions

Is medical cannabis proven safe for children or during pregnancy?

No. This review highlights emerging clinical use, but safety data remain extremely limited. The evidence is too early-stage to draw firm conclusions about either safety or efficacy.

Which conditions showed the most promise?

Behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder had the most clinical reports, but all three conditions (ASD, FASD, hyperemesis gravidarum) had only preliminary evidence.

Read the original research

Medicinal Use of Cannabis in Children and Pregnant Women.

Rambam Maimonides medical journal, 11(1), 1-5

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Koren, Gideon; Cohen, Rana. (2020). Medicinal Use of Cannabis in Children and Pregnant Women.. Rambam Maimonides medical journal, 11(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10382