Posted on 01/01/2018 9:24:04 AM PST by MarvinStinson
California - A new study has found that smoking marijuana is increasing among pregnant women in California, which leads to health concerns about the unborn child.
The study was published on Dec. 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, according to Fox News, and used the medical records of 279,000 women residing in California who were on Kaiser Permanente, a health care service.
Women who agreed to participate were asked to answer a questionnaire when they were about eight weeks pregnant, and take a drug test to see if they tested positive for marijuana use. In the study, researchers found that marijuana consumption among pregnant women in the state has risen from 2009 to 2016 from 4.2 percent to 7.1 percent.
Kelly Young-Wolff, the study’s lead researcher, and Dr. Nancy Goler, a researcher, said their study shows how marijuana might potentially harm an unborn child.
"Our study is important because it addressed key limitations of prior studies by investigating trends in prenatal marijuana use using data from a large California health care system with gold standard universal screening for prenatal marijuana use," Goler and Young-Wolff told Reuters.
"We were concerned to find that the prevalence of marijuana use in pregnancy is increasing more quickly among younger females, aged 24 and younger, and to see the high prevalence of use in this age group," Young-Wolff said.
Both Young-Wolff and Goler noted marijuana was the “most commonly used illegal drug during pregnancy,” and could “impair fetal growth and neuro-development,” Reuters reported.
Marijuana use may be on the rise because recent legalization of its recreational use in some states "has made people think of the drug as less dangerous, even during pregnancy," according to Barbara Yankey, a researcher at Georgia State University.
"Because of the possibility of concurrent use of marijuana and other substances of abuse, the evidence of its direct association with preterm labor, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, low birthweight and stillbirth is still debatable, though these adverse effects lean more towards an increased likelihood of occurrence," Yankey said.
“The more we study cannabis use during pregnancy, the more we are realizing how harmful it can be,” Dr. Marcel Bonn-Miller, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia said. She was not involved in the study.
California will make recreational marijuana possession legal in 2018.
Here’s some historical evidence:
‘The other piece of medical testimony [during hearings on the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937] came from a man named Dr. William C. Woodward. Dr. Woodward was both a lawyer and a doctor and he was Chief Counsel to the American Medical Association. Dr. Woodward came to testify at the behest of the American Medical Association saying, and I quote, “The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that marihuana is a dangerous drug.”
‘What’s amazing is not whether that’s true or not. What’s amazing is what the Congressmen then said to him. Immediately upon his saying, and I quote again, “The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that marihuana is a dangerous drug.”, one of the Congressmen said, “Doctor, if you can’t say something good about what we are trying to do, why don’t you go home?”
‘That’s an exact quote. The next Congressman said, “Doctor, if you haven’t got something better to say than that, we are sick of hearing you.”’
- The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States, by Charles Whitebread, Professor of Law, USC Law School (A Speech to the California Judges Association 1995 annual conference )
Where is the evidence that they deny it?
The Cult of Marijuana has replaced religion for a lot of young people.
The women I knew and know did not drink during their pregnancies...not in the 30s or 40s or50s or 60s
FAS happens to a significant enough number of children to be a problem (2-5%)
There is zero reason to drink while pregnant
“Awww, baby said his first word.”
Lol! Or "Tote?". My niece, approaching her one-year-old birthday said "Cheetos" as her first word. Yeah, my sister gave her Cheetos snack food and it became my niece's favorite. I can imagine impaired brain development because of pregnant moms who tote marijuana. Sheesh, don't we have too many brain-dead liberals already?
“FAS happens to a significant enough number of children to be a problem (2-5%)”
2-5% of what?
Your analogy is incorrect. Apple machines are still pretty much immune to viruses/spyware in real-world conditions except in test labs. Microsoft products on the other hand, are rife with infections and problems, always have been.
Of all babies born
You don’t know much about women’s useage of either alcohol or cigarettes in the mid twentieth century
But, but it’s legal now. If it’s legal, then it’s not harmful. Right?????
Marijuana does cripple one’s growth I observed in a 40 year old guy still living in his parent’s house.
Are there moderate smokers?
I think there are some that make pot the center of their lives, and others who can occasionally toke and not make it a big deal.
“agreed, just like we are when they repealed prohibition right?”
Actually, no.
It’s an herb it’s natural.. blah blah blah. Always want to say to someone when they say that well arsenic is also naturally occurring in our environment Oleanders a plant too, doesn’t mean you should be eating it or smoking it.
Precisely
My friend Becky went from toting small amounts to injecting whole doobies. It was horrible.
The thought of pregnant women smoking marijuana makes me shudder, quite literally. Do these women see films of babies born to druggie mothers? It’s heartbreaking. Perhaps the effects of marijuana aren’t so severe as the more ‘hard drugs,’ but why would any mother risk the health of her child?
Big spike in this in Colorado. Having more people stoned...what could go wrong?
You want “references”?
You got em:
Marijuana-related fatal car accidents surge in Washington state after legalization
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/10/marijuana-related-fatal-car-accidents-surge-washin/
Here’s an Important Reason Why You Should Never, Ever Smoke Pot and Drive
A new report from Colorado, where marijuana is legal, offers some chilling statistics
BY CHRISTA SGOBBA OCTOBER 12, 2017
https://www.menshealth.com/health/marijuana-and-traffic-deaths-colorado
‘Drugged driving’ surpasses drunken driving among drivers killed in crashes, report finds
By Robert Jimison, CNN April 28, 2017
(CNN)Driving while on drugs was associated with more deaths in 2015 than driving with alcohol in one’s system, a new report found.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/27/health/drugged-driving-death-rates-report/index.html
Fatal road crashes involving marijuana double after state legalizes drug
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160510103131.htm
Driving while high on marijuana causing spike in fatal accidents
https://www.today.com/health/driving-while-high-marijuana-causing-spike-fatal-accidents-t91746
Marijuana playing larger role in fatal crashes - USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/06/09/marijuana-accidents/10219119/
Drugged Driving on Rise, Passes Alcohol Alone in Fatal Crashes, Study Finds
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/drugged-driving-rise-passes-alcohol-alone-fatal-crashes-study-finds-n751681
Fatalities involving marijuana-impaired drivers on the rise
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/traffic/article166826757.html
Marijuana-Linked Road Deaths Up in Colorado
http://www.businessfleet.com/channel/safety-accident-management/news/story/2017/08/marijuana-linked-road-deaths-up-in-colorado.aspx
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/traffic/article166826757.html
2 - 5% of all babies born have FAS?
That is very difficult to believe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.