Blunt Blowin' Mama

On this week’s episode of Blunt Blowin’ Mama, we analyze a new study on cannabis use in pregnancy that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) on Nov. 15, 2021. This study proposes that cannabis use in pregnancy causes higher levels of cortisol in the children born, resulting in more instances of anxiety, stress, and depression.

You know, we tried to go straight to the source and reached out to the study’s publisher, Yasmin Hurd, but got no response. So, we brought on our experts to unpack the study’s findings and provide honest, transparent, and unbiased insights from two board-certified medical professionals. We connected with registered nurses Kait Boettcher and Adjuan Edgerson to ask them various questions about the study and get their expertise on using cannabis during pregnancy.

This episode is so informative and really teaches us that we hold the power to educate ourselves on the effects of cannabis.

Keep scrolling to listen to this episode of the Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast.

Kait Boettcher, RN-BSN

Follow Kait Boettcher:
@that.plant.nurse

Adjuan Edgerson, RN

Follow Adjuan Edgerson: @nurse_unrxed

On this Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast episode:

• We go over the biases that studies can have regarding cannabis use.
• The nurses share their advice for expectant mothers who want to use cannabis for medical reasons.
• We chat about the problematic ways mainstream media share the findings of studies regarding motherhood and cannabis.
• Nurse Kait shares her takeaways from the study and the different opportunities for improvement she sees in the way the research around cannabis and pregnancy is being conducted.
• Nurse Adjuan shares her own family’s history with mental and emotional health and pinpoints why it’s important that the data in these studies become more consistent and forthright.

Listen to episode 195 of the Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast below to feel empowered and more informed, the gems are endless:

Some interesting findings that we discuss are the biases that exist within the study. For instance, Kait said she noticed that the study’s tiny control group consisted of women who resided in New York and were predominantly low-income black and brown. Moreover, this study, in particular, was created from a more extensive study done decades ago, and its most recently published research was in 2009 before adult use of cannabis was legalized in New York, therefore bringing to question the quality and purity of the cannabis that was being consumed by the participants.

An additional detail: The study was conducted during Super Storm Sandy, so the pregnant mothers who were self-reporting were experiencing very high amounts of stress due to their environment. This causes us to wonder what other factors were NOT considered in this study? Many environmental factors could have contributed to these babies’ higher cortisol levels.

Both nurses emphasized the importance of considering family history as well as the history of trauma or emotional strain the pregnant mothers could have been experiencing, which may have been completely unrelated to their cannabis consumption. Hurd, the author of the study, mentions that she wants moms to feel empowered when considering all of their options for managing their pregnancy symptoms and to feel confident about having conversations with their doctor about their cannabis use. She likened it to conversations happening around alcohol use in pregnancy, which left us wondering just how biased this study could be.

Ultimately, the consensus from our medical expert guests is that as a mom-to-be, you should have the autonomy to choose what is best for your emotional and physical well-being. Pregnancy is challenging and can put you through it from unmanageable morning sickness to anxiety. Doctors have prescribed loads of pharmaceuticals to expectant mothers who carry risks of their own. It should be up to the patient to decide what risks they are willing to take, even when it comes to cannabis use.

Want to learn about how to incorporate cannabis into your lifestyle as a pregnant or breastfeeding parent?

Then the BBM Breastfeeding And Cannabis Workshop and the Pregnancy And Cannabis Workshop is just for you! Shonitria spoke with expert panels on these important topics to answer frequently asked questions so that parents could make informed decisions about the plant during these important times in their lives. Weed is an option and these workshops will leave you with the confidence to make the decision that’s best for you when it comes to the plant.

Like this content? Then you’ll love what else we have to share about weed and motherhood! Check it out below.