Marijuana during pregnancy is linked to poor birth outcomes and developmental delays in children, a leading medical society advised.
Sept. 19, 2025
Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding should be screened for cannabis use and strongly discouraged from it, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in new clinical guidelines published on Friday.
Cannabis use during pregnancy has been rising for years. Many women rely on the drug to cope with nausea and other pregnancy symptoms.
But the college warned that mounting evidence linked cannabis to preterm births, low birth weights and a greater need for neonatal intensive care, as well as neurocognitive and behavioral problems in children.
“Patients are often using cannabis to help with some kind of medical ailment, not recreationally — in their mind, they think it’s a more natural way to deal with a medical problem,” said Dr. Melissa Russo, an author of the new guidance.
“But there are lots of natural things that are not safe,” Dr. Russo said. There are no studies demonstrating that cannabis is effective for pregnant or lactating women, she added, “and research now shows there are potential adverse effects.”
The college warned against blood or urine tests for cannabis screening. Instead, it urged physicians to talk with women about their habits, and to encourage them to stop using marijuana as soon as possible while offering alternative therapies for medical ailments.
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Roni Caryn Rabin is a Times health reporter focused on maternal and child health, racial and economic disparities in health care, and the influence of money on medicine.
A version of this article appears in print on Sept. 22, 2025, Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: New Guidance Warns Against Cannabis Use In Pregnancy. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
See more on: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/health/pregnancy-cannabis-marijuana-guidelines.html
