Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug during pregnancy in the U.S., and marijuana use is on the rise among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women.

Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, even as some states have legalized it for recreational and medicinal use. In addition, a growing number of pregnant women view it as a safe, natural way to treat nausea and vomiting, or “morning sickness.”

But marijuana use during pregnancy is not safe and comes with serious, potentially deadly risks. It also comes with risks for non-pregnant people.

Avoiding marijuana during pregnancy and breastfeeding can give your baby a healthier start in life.

Key points

• Cannabis may be bad for your baby no matter how you use it—this includes smoking, vaping, dabbing, eating or drinking, and applying creams or lotions to the skin.
• If you are using cannabis and are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor.

Potential health effects of using cannabis during pregnancy

Using cannabis during pregnancy may affect your baby's development and put you at risk of pregnancy complications.

Cannabis use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby's health. The chemicals in cannabis (in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) pass through your system to your baby and may harm your baby's development.

Although more research is needed to better understand how cannabis may affect you and your baby during pregnancy, it is recommended that pregnant persons do not use cannabis.

• Some research shows that using cannabis while you are pregnant can cause health problems in newborns, including lower birth weight and abnormal neurological development.
• Breathing cannabis smoke contains many of the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. THC, the psychoactive or mind-altering compound in cannabis, may also be passed to infants through secondhand smoke.
• The potential health effects of using cannabidiol (CBD) products during pregnancy are currently unknown.

Cannabis use while pregnant and breastfeeding

Can using cannabis during my pregnancy affect my baby's development after birth?

Although scientists are still learning about the effects of cannabis on developing brains, studies suggest that cannabis use by persons during pregnancy could be linked to problems with attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and behavior in their children later in life.

Does using cannabis affect breastfeeding?

The health effects of a breastfeeding person's use of cannabis on their infant or baby are not yet fully known. We do know that chemicals from cannabis can be passed to a baby through breastmilk. THC is stored in body fat and is slowly released over time, meaning a baby could still be exposed even after a person has stopped using cannabis. Thus, persons who are breastfeeding are encouraged to avoid all cannabis use.

Cannabis is a plant of the Cannabaceae family and contains more than eighty biologically active chemical compounds. The most commonly known compounds are THC and CBD. One type of cannabis plant is marijuana, which contains varying levels of THC, the compound that produces the “high” that is often associated with marijuana. Another type of cannabis plant is hemp. Hemp plants contain extremely low amounts of THC. CBD, which does not produce a “high,” can be derived from either marijuana or hemp.

We are now seeing CBD-containing products everywhere. CBD can be found in many different products, like drugs, foods, products marketed as dietary supplements, and cosmetics. These products often make questionable health promises about CBD.

FDA wants you to know there may be serious risks to using cannabis products, including those containing CBD, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

There are many potential negative health effects from using marijuana and other products containing THC during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General recently advised consumers that marijuana use during pregnancy may affect fetal brain development, because THC can enter the fetal brain from the mother’s bloodstream. The Surgeon General also advised that marijuana may increase the risk of a newborn with low birth weight. Research also suggests increased risk for premature birth and potentially stillbirth.

While breastfeeding, it is important to know that breastmilk can contain THC for up to six days after use. This THC may affect a newborn’s brain development and result in hyperactivity, poor cognitive function, and other long-term consequences.

Additionally, marijuana smoke contains many of the same harmful components as tobacco smoke. Neither marijuana nor tobacco products should be smoked around a baby or children.

No amount of marijuana has been proven safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first official guidelines, advising women who are pregnant or nursing to avoid marijuana use because it isn’t safe for them or their children.

Whether smoked, eaten in food (edibles), or vaped, marijuana is stronger than ever before, which makes use during pregnancy especially risky for a developing baby’s health. Marijuana contains nearly 500 chemicals, including the mind-altering compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These chemicals can pass through a woman’s placenta to her baby during pregnancy.

Studies show that marijuana use during pregnancy may be harmful to a baby’s health and cause a variety of problems, including:

There is no comprehensive research studying the effects of CBD on the developing fetus, pregnant mother, or breastfed baby. FDA is continuing to collect and study the data on the possible harmful effects of CBD during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. However, based on what we do know, there is significant cause for concern.

High doses of CBD in pregnant test animals have caused problems with the reproductive system of developing male fetuses. In addition, based on what we already know about CBD, we expect that some amount of CBD will be transferred to babies through breast milk.

We also know that there is a potential for CBD products to be contaminated with substances that may pose a risk to the fetus or breastfed baby, including THC. We have also heard reports of CBD potentially containing other contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, bacteria, and fungus); we are investigating this.

Moreover, CBD has known risks for people in general. Based on clinical studies in humans, risks can include the following:

• liver toxicity (damage)
• extreme sleepiness
• harmful interactions with other drugs

FDA is studying the effects of CBD use from different angles, such as: (1) the use of CBD-containing products, like food, cosmetics, or supplements, over a person’s entire life; and (2) the effects of using these various products in combination. There are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing CBD.

We especially want to learn more about the effects of CBD during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including, for example, whether and to what extent the presence of CBD in human milk harms the breastfed baby or the mother’s milk production.

FDA recently completed an evaluation of some hemp seed-derived food ingredients and had no objections to the use of these ingredients in foods. THC and CBD are found mainly in hemp flowers, leaves, and stems, not in hemp seeds. Hemp seeds can pick up miniscule amounts of THC and CBD from contact with other plant parts, but these amounts are low enough to not raise concerns for any group, including pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.

Breastfeeding persons are encouraged to avoid using marijuana. The health effects of a breastfeeding person’s use of marijuana on her infant are not yet fully known, and the available data are limited and conflicting. However, we know that chemicals from marijuana can be passed to a baby through breast milk. In addition, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is stored in body fat and is slowly released over time, meaning that a baby could still be exposed even after a breastfeeding person stops using marijuana.

Marijuana use while breastfeeding also comes with risk of harms to the baby.

THC and other chemicals in marijuana can be passed to a baby through breast milk, increasing the baby’s risk for problems with brain development.

If you are considering using cannabis, or any products containing THC or CBD, you should be aware of the following:

• FDA strongly advises that during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, you avoid using CBD, THC, or marijuana in any form.
• Although many of these products are being sold, FDA has not approved these products, other than one prescription CBD drug product and two prescription drug products containing dronabinol, a synthetic version of THC (which are approved to treat certain side effects of HIV-AIDS or chemotherapy). All three of these prescription products have associated risks and side effects.
• Always talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before taking any medicines, vitamins, or herbs while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Do not put yourself or your baby at risk by using cannabis products while pregnant or breastfeeding.