German Midwives' Knowledge and Practices Around Cannabis Use During Pregnancy
Following Germany's 2024 cannabis legalization, midwives reported gaps in knowledge about prenatal cannabis risks and inconsistent screening and counseling practices.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
German midwives showed variable self-rated knowledge of cannabis risks in pregnancy and inconsistent frequency of screening and counseling patients about cannabis use, despite their central role in prenatal care.
Key Numbers
Survey of German midwives following 2024 legalization — specific sample size in full text. Assessed knowledge, risk perception, and counseling frequency.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of German midwives assessing self-rated knowledge, risk perception, and frequency of screening and counseling practices related to cannabis use during pregnancy.
Why This Research Matters
Germany legalized recreational cannabis in 2024. Midwives are primary prenatal care providers there, so their knowledge and practices around cannabis directly affect whether pregnant women receive appropriate guidance.
The Bigger Picture
As countries legalize cannabis, healthcare systems must adapt. This study highlights that legalization can outpace clinical education, leaving frontline providers without the knowledge to guide patients effectively.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-rated knowledge may not reflect actual knowledge. Survey response bias may skew toward more engaged midwives. German healthcare system may not generalize to other countries.
Questions This Raises
- ?How can midwifery education programs rapidly integrate cannabis counseling?
- ?Do countries with longer legalization histories show better provider knowledge?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional survey providing a snapshot of provider readiness — useful for identifying training gaps but limited by self-report methodology.
- Study Age:
- Timely study conducted shortly after Germany's landmark 2024 cannabis legalization, capturing immediate impact on prenatal care.
- Original Title:
- Pregnancy Care in Times of Cannabis Legalization: Self-Rated Knowledge, Risk Perception and Communication Practices of Midwives in Germany.
- Published In:
- Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 13(11) (2025)
- Authors:
- Wollscheid, Julia, Burke, Matthias, Kimmel, Theresa, Kaufmann, Tobias, Batra, Anil, Binder, Annette
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07966
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is cannabis safe during pregnancy?
Current evidence suggests prenatal cannabis exposure may pose risks to fetal development. Most medical organizations recommend avoiding cannabis during pregnancy.
Why focus on midwives specifically?
In Germany, midwives play a central role in prenatal care and are often the primary point of contact for pregnant women, making their knowledge about cannabis risks particularly important.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07966APA
Wollscheid, Julia; Burke, Matthias; Kimmel, Theresa; Kaufmann, Tobias; Batra, Anil; Binder, Annette. (2025). Pregnancy Care in Times of Cannabis Legalization: Self-Rated Knowledge, Risk Perception and Communication Practices of Midwives in Germany.. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 13(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111228
MLA
Wollscheid, Julia, et al. "Pregnancy Care in Times of Cannabis Legalization: Self-Rated Knowledge, Risk Perception and Communication Practices of Midwives in Germany.." Healthcare (Basel, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111228
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Pregnancy Care in Times of Cannabis Legalization: Self-Rated..." RTHC-07966. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/wollscheid-2025-pregnancy-care-in-times
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.