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What are the potential health effects of using marijuana during my pregnancy?
Marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby's health. The chemicals in marijuana (in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) pass through your system to your baby and may harm your baby's development. Although more research is needed, it is recommended that pregnant persons do not use marijuana.
- Some research shows that using marijuana while pregnant can cause health problems in newborns, including lower birth weight and abnormal neurological development.
- Breathing marijuana smoke can also be bad for you and your baby. Secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. THC may also be passed to infants through secondhand smoke.
Fast facts
- Using marijuana during pregnancy may affect your baby's development and put you at risk of pregnancy complications.
- Between 2016–2017 in the United States, 7% of pregnant persons reported using marijuana in the past month.
- Marijuana may be bad for your baby no matter how you use it — including smoking, vaping, dabbing, eating or drinking, and applying creams or lotions to the skin.
- The potential health effects of using cannabidiol (CBD) products during pregnancy are currently unknown.
- If you are using marijuana and are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor.
Can using marijuana during my pregnancy affect my baby's development after birth?
Although scientists are still learning about the effects of marijuana on developing brains, studies suggest that marijuana use during pregnancy could be linked to problems with attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and behavior in children later in life.
Does using marijuana affect breastfeeding?
The health effects of a breastfeeding person's marijuana use on their baby are not yet fully known. Chemicals from marijuana can be passed to a baby through breast milk. 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. Persons who are breastfeeding are encouraged to avoid all marijuana use.
Learn more
- Substance Use During Pregnancy — bit.ly/CDC_Pregnancy_SubstanceUse
- FAQs on Marijuana and Pregnancy — bit.ly/ACOG_marijuana_pregnancy
- CDC's Marijuana and Public Health — cdc.gov/marijuana
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), www.cdc.gov. October 2021.