Clinicians Say Nausea Drives Most Prenatal Cannabis Use | Research

The takeaway

Mental health clinicians reported that nausea and morning sickness are the top reasons pregnant patients use cannabis, with peers being the primary information source.

Perinatal care providers, prenatal counselors, harm reduction advocates

Nausea/morning sickness identified as the top motive for prenatal cannabis use

What the researchers found

Among 26 perinatal mental health clinicians, nausea/morning sickness was identified as the most common motive for prenatal cannabis use. Patients primarily get cannabis information from peers rather than healthcare providers. Clinicians used motivational interviewing, harm reduction, and psychoeducation to address use.

Why it matters

Understanding why pregnant people use cannabis and where they get information helps shape effective clinical conversations and public health messaging during a critical developmental window.

The numbers in context

26 clinicians surveyed (100% female, 73.1% White, mean age 48.1). 14 completed semi-structured interviews. Nausea/morning sickness ranked as top motive.

How the study worked

Mixed-methods study with surveys (N=26) and semi-structured interviews (n=14) of licensed mental health clinicians in Kaiser Permanente Northern California's perinatal substance use screening program.

What this study cannot tell us

Clinician perspectives may not fully reflect patient experiences. Single healthcare system limits generalizability. Small sample of predominantly White female clinicians.

How to read the evidence

Mixed-methods study with small clinician sample from a single healthcare system.

When this study was published

2025 study from Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

The bigger picture

As prenatal cannabis use rises, the gap between peer-sourced information and clinical guidance widens. Clinicians report that patient readiness, therapeutic rapport, and mental health support are key to successful intervention.

Questions still open

Are there safer alternatives to cannabis for pregnancy-related nausea that patients would accept? How can clinical messaging compete with peer information networks?

Common questions

Why do pregnant women use cannabis?

Mental health clinicians in this study reported that nausea and morning sickness are the most common reasons, with patients primarily learning about cannabis use during pregnancy from their peers.

What approaches help pregnant patients reduce cannabis use?

Clinicians reported success with motivational interviewing, harm reduction, and psychoeducation. Building rapport, assessing readiness to change, and addressing underlying mental health concerns were identified as key facilitators.

Read the original research

Mental health clinicians' perceptions on patient motivations and intervention engagement for prenatal cannabis use: A mixed methods study.

Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 15, 100334

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Mian, Maha N; Does, Monique B; Altschuler, Andrea; Green, Andrea; Ansley, Deborah R; Castellanos, Carley; Asyyed, Asma H; Satre, Derek D; Young-Wolff, Kelly C. (2025). Mental health clinicians' perceptions on patient motivations and intervention engagement for prenatal cannabis use: A mixed methods study.. Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 15, 100334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2025.100334