The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that pregnant women discontinue marijuana use due to concerns about impaired neurodevelopment and fetal exposure.
Read this if you are pregnant or planning pregnancy and want to know the official medical guidance on marijuana.
ACOG: discontinue marijuana use during pregnancy, preconception, and lactation
What the researchers found
ACOG issued a formal committee opinion stating that women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use. Self-reported marijuana use during pregnancy ranges from 2-5% in most studies, and this could increase with expanding legalization.
Key recommendations included: obstetricians should not prescribe or suggest marijuana for medicinal purposes during preconception, pregnancy, or lactation. Women using medical marijuana should be encouraged to switch to alternative therapies with better pregnancy-specific safety data.
The opinion cited concerns about impaired neurodevelopment and the adverse effects of smoking as the primary reasons for the recommendation. Insufficient data existed to evaluate marijuana effects on infants during lactation, so use during breastfeeding was also discouraged.
Why it matters
This is the official position of the leading U.S. professional organization for obstetricians on marijuana use during pregnancy. It provides clear guidance for clinicians counseling pregnant patients, particularly as legalization makes marijuana more accessible.
The numbers in context
Self-reported marijuana use during pregnancy: 2-5% in most studies. Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy.
How the study worked
This is an ACOG Committee Opinion, which represents expert consensus based on available evidence. Committee opinions are produced by panels of specialists who review the relevant literature and provide clinical guidance.
What this study cannot tell us
Committee opinions represent expert consensus rather than systematic evidence review. The evidence on marijuana and pregnancy outcomes is incomplete, with most studies limited by confounding factors (polysubstance use, socioeconomic differences). The opinion does not provide detailed analysis of the quality of underlying evidence.
How to read the evidence
This is an expert committee opinion from a major medical professional organization, representing strong institutional guidance based on available evidence.
When this study was published
Published in 2015. ACOG has maintained and updated its position against marijuana use during pregnancy.
The bigger picture
As marijuana legalization expands, more pregnant women may consider using it for nausea, pain, or anxiety. This committee opinion provides a clear clinical stance that guides prenatal counseling and sets expectations for medical practice.
Questions still open
- Would topical or oral CBD products carry the same risks as smoked marijuana during pregnancy? How should clinicians counsel women in states where marijuana is legal? What alternative therapies are recommended for pregnant women who were using medical marijuana?
Common questions
Is marijuana safe during pregnancy?
What about CBD products during pregnancy?
Read the original research
Committee Opinion No. 637: Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Lactation.
Obstetrics and gynecology, 126(1), 234-8
Citation
. (2015). Committee Opinion No. 637: Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Lactation.. Obstetrics and gynecology, 126(1), 234-8. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000467192.89321.a6
Explore the wider topic
- How to Talk to Your Teenager About Weed (Without Losing Them)
- My Kid's Friends Smoke Weed: A Parent's Guide
- I Smoke Weed But Don't Want My Kids To: Navigating the Hypocrisy
- Quitting Weed as a Parent: Why It Is the Hardest and Most Important Quit
- Quitting Weed as a Teen or Young Adult
- My Kid Is Smoking Weed: A Parent's Guide