What Parents Need to Know About Maternal Cannabis Use During Pregnancy.

Lo J.; D'Mello R.; Thompson L. · JAMA pediatrics · 2026

**Background & Methods** This is a review article published in JAMA Pediatrics that synthesizes current evidence on maternal cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation. The paper presents information intended for patient education regarding potential risks associated with parental cannabis exposure during the prenatal period and breastfeeding. **Key Findings** • Maternal cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with increased risks of adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes, including altered fetal neurodevelopment, reduced birth weight, and potential long-term neurobehavioral effects in offspring. • Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, crosses the placental barrier and accumulates in fetal tissues, raising concerns about developmental toxicity during critical periods of brain formation. • Cannabis use while breastfeeding poses additional risks, as THC is detected in breast milk and may be transferred to nursing infants with unknown long-term developmental consequences. **Dosage & Administration** Not reported. The review does not specify particular cannabis doses, routes of administration, or potency levels studied in the underlying research. **Safety & Adverse Effects** The review identifies several potential adverse effects associated with maternal cannabis use, including impaired fetal brain development, reduced birth weight, preterm delivery, and possible alterations in neurobehavioral outcomes. Additionally, exposure through breastfeeding may result in THC accumulation in infants. Specific mechanisms of harm and detailed adverse event profiles from individual studies are not comprehensively enumerated in this patient-focused summary. **Evidence Quality** As a narrative review article and patient education resource rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis, this publication has inherent limitations in evidence synthesis and does not provide a critical appraisal of individual study quality or strength of evidence ratings. The conclusions are drawn from existing literature but lack formal quality assessment methodology. The patient page format prioritizes accessibility over comprehensive methodological detail. Readers should consult the full JAMA Pediatrics article and primary literature for detailed evidence grading and study-level limitations.

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