Life Stressors Fuel Marijuana Use During Pregnancy

Women who experienced a higher number of stressful events in the year before giving birth were more likely to use marijuana both before and during pregnancy, a University of Arizona study finds.

Published this month in Addiction, the study from the university's Department of Family and Community Medicine used data from the 2016 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, analyzing self-report responses from more than 6,000 women in five states. Another overall finding of the study showed an increase of around 35% between 2011 and 2016 in self-reported marijuana use during pregnancy.

“We know that adverse childhood events increase the risk of substance abuse in a wide range of people, including pregnant women,” said study lead author Alicia Allen, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of family and community medicine. “However, this is the first study looking at more recent stressful events, such as having a sick family member, financial problems or domestic problems, to name just a few.”

Allen and colleagues found, for example, that women who reported that their husband/partner lost a job in the past year were 81% more likely to use marijuana before pregnancy and 119% more likely to continue to use during pregnancy.