Pregnancy and Marijuana

First things first. Anyone dispensing any sort of advice concerning medicine must have a disclaimer. This is one of the reasons why every single article you ever read about online starts out with “make sure to consult your doctor first”.  So. Yeah. Make sure to consult your doctor about any questions you have.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way. Let’s get into the issue at hand.

Many times the question will arise whether or not it is a good idea to smoke marijuana during pregnancy. This is obviously a huge question that involves a host a factors. If you stumbled upon this page you’re obviously looking for answers. But to be fair, there really isn’t any besides anecdotal evidence.  The first thing to consider is that one must be very careful with the information that is given out to women during pregnancy. Pregnant women are already in a highly emotional state and can be easily frightened by propaganda. Unfortunately many of those against marijuana are willing to put out disinformation concerning the scientific evidence as to whether marijuana is truly harmful to a fetus during pregnancy for their own business interests. There simply isn’t enough evidence to make a claim that marijuana in any way does any harm. According to DrugPolicy.Org’s own website they state that

Studies of newborns, infants, and children show no consistent physical, developmental, or cognitive deficits related to prenatal marijuana exposure. Marijuana had no reliable impact on birth size, length of gestation, neurological development, or the occurrence of physical abnormalities. The administration of hundreds of tests to older children has revealed only minor differences between offspring of marijuana users and nonusers, and some are positive rather than negative. Two unconfirmed case-control studies identified prenatal marijuana exposure as one of many factors statistically associated with childhood cancer. Given other available evidence, it is highly unlikely that marijuana causes cancer in children.

But this is possibly only one side to the story. So let’s be fair. The first thing a woman must understand is that prescription drugs (given to pregnant women by their doctors) have accounted for a thousand times more birth defects than anything ever directly tied to marijuana. The prescription drug market is extremely powerful and because of the many symptoms that women face during pregnancy the pharmaceutical companies see a way to make a profit by alleviating these symptoms. The drugs that are put on the market do undergo some testing (many times on animals, not humans) but there are still literally hundreds of thousands of cases of prescription drugs which have been directly connected to birth defects.  Thalidomide being the most extreme example where hundreds of thousands of women were given the drug which was directly tied to their babies being born with no arms and legs. I won’t post any pictures here, but a quick google search will show what the result of this drug were.  However there are more common substances which can also have devastating effects on a developing fetus.

Alcohol, Caffeine, and Tobacco have all been extensively studied and all of these are currently not recommended for repeated consumption during pregnancy.  Unlike the studies concerning marijuana there is hard evidence that all three of these legal substances can adversely effect a woman’s child during pregnancy.  However, this is where we get an important lesson about how “Science” works concerning these types of studies.  All three of these substances (alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco) also had industry run tests which studied their effects on pregnancy. While now it is considered to be fact that it is a bad idea to use these substances during pregnancy; it was only 20 years ago that all three were fighting to try and prove the opposite. “Science” unfortunately many times takes a back seat as corporate interests ensure that the money keeps flowing. Of course the opposite is also true and keeping marijuana “unsafe” during pregnancy also makes many pharmaceutical companies a lot of money because pregnant women will use their products instead of marijuana for pain relief, morning sickness, inducing hunger etc.  This means that it is in the best interest of many companies to ensure that marijuana remains “unsafe” during pregnancy.

BUT! The one thing that should be considered is that most anything a woman ingests can also have an effect on a developing fetus. This includes, but isn’t limited to Prescription Drugs, Air Quality (distance to power plants), drinking water, eating genetically modified foods, and of course using legal substances such as Alcohol, Tobacco, and Caffeine. It should also be noted that many doctors still routinely prescribe Oxycontin, and Hydrocodone during pregnancies and these are Schedule one Narcotics! The amount of data connecting withdrawl symptoms to Hydrocodone, Vicodin, and Oxycotin are numerous, however to my knowledge there still isn’t any hard evidence linking these substances to any detrimental effects. This leads us to another important factor considering the use of substances during pregnancy. There isn’t a lot of studies done on pregnant women because the results have the potential of being so terrible that no drug company in their right mind would ever carry them out. A pharmaceutical company that makes billions of dollars off of a drug isn’t going to risk potentially impacting their bottom line (which is to make money, not to help people) by doing such tests on pregnant women.

Now that we’ve covered some of the potential scientific proven effects on what marijuana and pregnancy have let’s take a look at the worst effect that marijuana can have on a pregnancy. These don’t have anything to do with children being hyperactive (a common myth perpetuated by marijuana prohibitionists) and everything to do with the fact that marijuana is illegal. While it is currently legal to take Hydrocodone and Vicodin during pregnancy (both schedule 1 narcotics similar to Heroin) there can be dire circumstances for a mother that uses marijuana to treat morning sickness or increase appetite. These have everything to do with the fact that marijuana has been villified for the past hundred years in the United States.  In many states a babies first drug test will come when it is literally hours old. It doesn’t take long for the government to start prying into the lives of newborns, however it is probably for the best because it should be considered a form of child abuse to use substances such as Alcohol, and Cocaine during pregnancy. The amount of data tying the use to these two substances to birth defects is insurmountable and if a child is going through withdraw symptoms then the health care providers do have an obligation to take the necessary steps to ensure the child receives proper care.  However, even though there are no conclusive tests which show that marijuana has any detrimental effects on a child, it should be noted that Child Protective Services have removed children from their parents simply because they used marijuana. This is a practice completely unique to the United States and doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world. The moral of this story is that the biggest side effect of smoking marijuana during pregnancy doesn’t have anything to do with testable, replicable, results, and everything to do with the insanity of its prohibition.  The most detrimental effect your child could suffer would come at the hands of the state who could do untold psychological damage by removing an infant and placing it into foster care. Because of this if you are in a conservative state I would be very careful about any marijuana use during pregnancy. They can literally take your baby away from you and place it into the foster care system just because you tested positive for marijuana. This RARELY happens but I’m trying to put out the most honest information that I can, and in doing so I must acknowledge this fact. Sadly, marijuana probably won’t effect a fetus or newborn in any way, but the Government enforcing their prohibition can have obvious detrimental effects. Be careful.

If you are looking for further material concerning giving your child the best chance I would suggest looking into various pregnancy diets available online, as well as abstaining from as many toxins as possible. If you are a constant smoker who is stoned all the time this may greatly change the effects that a child has as it is may be substance that the baby becomes accustomed to. If you are smoking occasionally to treat morning sickness, or increase hunger then I would say the potential side effects of drinking a cup of coffee are probably much worse than smoking a joint. But in no way would I (nor could I Imagine the medical community) ever suggest that smoking all the time will be “good” for the child.  Any substance that is taken on a habitual basis can effect a child. However the effects of marijuana and pregnancy are often grossly exaggerated.

If you are pregnant it is very important that you give that kid the best chance it has while it is developing.  This means eating a healthy diet, avoiding stress,  getting enough rest, and avoiding any type of toxins. While the studies don’t necessarily prove that marijuana has some sort of overwhelming detrimental effect on a developing fetus it must also be remembered that because marijuana is illegal this has also prevented a lot of testing on the drug as a medicine.  So, having results being “inconclusive” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s completely safe.  Those of us in the Marijuana Legalization community have an obligation to try and put out the most accurate information available, and we can’t just act like eveything is fine and dandy until science says otherwise.  I believe in Science, and I believe that as marijuana becomes legal we will know a lot more about any side effects that may occur in instances such as these.  It’s fine to put whatever you want into your body, but pregnant women do have an obligation to protect that child until it is born.  I know it’s unfair, and it sucks, but the best thing would probably to make sure that you are taking care of yourself in the best way possible. If you have terrible morning sickness, and aren’t eating then perhaps smoking some weed, relaxing, and eating a ton of food may actually be more beneficial than anything. The thing is, I can’t say this as fact because the studies simply aren’t there.

Audience members of Bill Maher’s “Real Time” may have smelled something in the air during last night’s taping. During a discussion about Prop 19 Zach Galifianakis calmly takes a joint out of his pocket and smokes it. He then passes the joint to Margaret Hoover and she inspects the joint, smelling it, and then proclaims “yep, it’s real”. It is unsure whether or not Bill Maher knew about the plan about the pot smoking or not, but as an avid smoker himself I was happy to see him let Zach Galifianakis on this. With the California election coming up I think it’s great to see that the taboo of smoking marijuana has already vanished amongst nearly half of all Americans. A recent Gallup Poll show that not only are half of Californians ready to legalize marijuana, but half of the country does as well.

If this video gets pulled by youtube you can watch the whole segment here on HBO

The Governator Arnold Shwarzenegger has just signed bill SB 1449 which effectively treats marijuana possesion no longer as a criminal offense. Currently as it stands you are allowed to posses up to 28.5 grams and receive nothing more than a 100$ fine. It’s a traffic ticket.

Now, many are thinking why would Shwarzenegger, who recently came out against prop 19 would now sign a bill which effectively decriminalizes marijuana. it simple. They don’t want prop 19 to pass and are doing everything in their power to stop it. Both the democrats and the Republicans have come out against the bill, and it hasn’t got any support from any major political figure in California. This is because they are worried about the repercussions of what will happen legally to the state if prop 19 is passed. Prop 19 would completely legalize the sale, production of marijuana, and create a tax which would bring the state billions of dollars. The last part is the tough one. You see, since marijuana is still illegal at a federal level, this would complicate the ability of the state to tax it. If Prop 19 passes it will create many legal problems for the state, and it will most likely go all the way to the supreme court. Unfortunately the Supreme Court has never ruled in favor of state’s rights, so they will nullify the will of the voters. Californian politicians are very afraid of democracy in action. They don’t want the people to have their say. So what do the politicians do? They give us a carrot on a stick, and say, is this good enough? I say fuck that! I want to grow the carrots myself! Go Prop 19!

Here’s the letter from Shwarzenegger explaining why he signed 1449 into law.

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To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am signing Senate Bill 1449.

This bill changes the crime of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana from a misdemeanor punishable only by a $100 fine to an infraction punishable by a $100 fine. Under existing law, jail time cannot be imposed, probation cannot be ordered, nor can the base fine exceed $100 for someone convicted of this crime.

I am opposed to decriminalizing the possession and recreational use of marijuana and oppose Proposition 19, which is on the November ballot. Unfortunately, Proposition 19 is a deeply flawed measure that, if passed, will adversely impact California’s businesses without bringing in the tax revenues to the state promised by its proponents. Notwithstanding my opposition to Proposition 19, however, I am signing this measure because possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is an infraction in everything but name. The only difference is that because it is a misdemeanor, a criminal defendant is entitled to a jury trial and a defense attorney. In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket. As noted by the Judicial Council in its support of this measure, the appointment of counsel and the availability of a jury trial should be reserved for defendants who are facing loss of life, liberty, or property greater than $100.

For these reasons, I am signing this bill.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

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And here’s the text of the actual bill.

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LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1449, as amended, Leno. Marijuana: possession.
Existing law provides that, except as authorized by law, every
person who possesses not more than 28.5 grams of marijuana, other
than concentrated cannabis, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be
punished by a fine of not more than $100. This same penalty is
imposed for the crime of possessing not more than 28.5 grams of
marijuana while driving on a highway or on lands, as specified.
Existing law provides for this offense with
respect to these offenses that under specified conditions (1)
the court shall divert and refer the defendant for education,
treatment, or rehabilitation, as specified, and (2) an arrested
person who gives satisfactory evidence of identity and a written
promise to appear in court shall not be subjected to booking.
This bill would instead provide that ,
except as authorized by law, every person who possesses not more
than 28.5 grams of marijuana, other than concentrated cannabis,
any person who commits any of the above offenses
is instead guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine
of not more than $250 $100. This bill would
eliminate the above- described prov isions
relating to booking and to diversion and referral for education,
treatment, or rehabilitation . By changing the
penalties for an existing crime, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.

When Ivy League professor Bill Kincaid receives news his estranged twin brother, Brady (both played by Edward Norton), has been murdered, he travels back home to Oklahoma to find that his brother’s death is greatly exaggerated, and he’s soon caught up in the dangerous, unpredictable drug world of the Oklahoma back waters. In the process, he reconnects with his eccentric mother (Susan Sarandon), meets a wise and educated woman who bypassed academia for a simpler life (Keri Russell), and helps his brother settle a score with a pernicious drug lord (Richard Dreyfuss) who uses Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Jewish community for a cover. Leaves of Grass follows a twisting path merging crime drama and drug comedy in pursuit of answering one our oldest questions: What does it truly mean to be happy?

A Canadian man is upset after he woke up one morning to find his prized pot plant missing. As a responsible member of society he decided to call the police and file a report. Growing up to four plants for personal use is usually overlooked in Canada, and this man simply wanted to file a report about his stolen property.

picture of a pot plant