In the past few years, the use of cannabis, a plant used for medicinal and recreational purposes, has increased tremendously around the world especially among younger adults in the US primarily due to some of the benefits it offers for the health. Now, experts are noting the use of marijuana during pregnancy is also becoming common day by day.
The cannabis plant, also known as marijuana, is touted for its advantages associated with one of its substances known as cannabinoids or CBD. CBD is different from other substances in the plant such as THC, which is known to be harmful and primarily responsible for the psychoactive properties in marijuana.
Many daily users of CBD have reported benefits including improvement in sleep cycles and better management of disorders including anxiety and depression. This is why the use of the plant is rising among the population and companies are developing more and more products with infused CBD.
In fact, CBD is now not only available in different forms such as pills, powders, extract, oil, and edible gummies but also in many of the beauty, skincare, and common household products. Some manufacturers are even another step ahead and have made unique items including CBD pillows.
The prevalence of the use of marijuana can convince anyone that it is indeed beneficial to health. However, the medical community has constantly emphasized the need for further investigation on cannabis and CBD products to ensure they are indeed safe in different dosages and in both the short and long term.
This is because of different studies that give contradicting conclusions on the use of CBD. While there are few studies that highlight some of the advantages of using cannabis, others show that it can potentially cause more harm in the long term.
For instance, a medical commentary by the American Heart Association from last week accentuated the significance of the need for further investigation on the plant as research had shown that using cannabis can increase the risk of heart-related problems including heart failure and cardiovascular events such as heart attack.
Also read: Cannabis Damage the Heart Health – AHA Reports
With the existence of possible evidence for the negative impact of CBD on the health, health experts suggest people use CBD in caution and controlled dosage. People with certain health conditions should specifically be extra careful.
In fact, it is suggested that those with existent medical conditions should not use cannabis in any form without consultation with a doctor to avoid possible drug interactions with the medicine they may be taking or negative consequences on the health.
Now, researchers have also noted that the use of cannabis during pregnancy by women is rapidly rising. A study, whose findings appear in the journal JAMA Network Open, showed that cannabis use was particularly common in younger women of African-American ethnicity.
Multiple studies from the past few years have shown that smoking or using cannabis in any form during pregnancy can harm the health of not only the woman but also cause developmental and neurological issues in the fetus.
For instance, the findings of the research, which was published in the journal Nature this week, suggested that women who use marijuana during pregnancy are at a 1.5 times higher risk of having a child with neurological problems including autism.
Many of the women who have been a part of similar studies and have used marijuana during pregnancy state that they do so mainly to manage complications such as morning sickness.
According to experts, cannabis should not be used in any form while being pregnant as it can be harmful. To manage pregnancy complications, there are far better and effective options. It is better to consult with a doctor for any problems rather than rely on marijuana.