Perceptions and behaviours surrounding cannabis use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early parenting in Canada: a qualitative study.

Renard J.; Morrow L.; Kaur Harneja J.; Rosen L. · Journal of cannabis research · 2026

**Background & Methods** This qualitative descriptive study examined perceptions, behaviours, and decision-making surrounding cannabis use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early parenting through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 31 Canadian women aged 18-55 years who had used cannabis in the past 10 years and had experience with pregnancy, breastfeeding, or caring for children under three years of age. Interviews were conducted online between April and May 2025, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis across five Canadian regions with English- and French-speaking participants. **Key Findings** • Participants described a decision-making process involving weighing perceived benefits of cannabis against uncertain risks to unborn or young children, often in the context of receiving limited and inconsistent clinical guidance from healthcare providers. • Multiple themes emerged including motivations for cannabis use, product types and modes of consumption, perceived health effects and benefits, knowledge gaps regarding safety, and experiences of stigma that discouraged disclosure to healthcare providers. • Challenges in discussing cannabis use with healthcare providers led participants to seek information from informal or non-clinical sources rather than evidence-based clinical information, highlighting gaps in patient-provider communication and education. **Dosage & Administration** Not reported. **Safety & Adverse Effects** Not reported. The study did not measure or document adverse effects in participants or their children. The abstract notes that cannabis use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early parenting raises public health concerns due to potential impacts on fetal and child development and parental health, but specific adverse outcomes were not characterized in this qualitative study. **Evidence Quality** This qualitative descriptive study represents low-to-moderate evidence quality. Limitations include small sample size (n=31) limited to Canadian participants, which may not be generalizable to other populations; cross-sectional design capturing perceptions at a single time point without longitudinal follow-up; potential selection bias in recruiting cannabis users willing to disclose use; and lack of objective health outcome measures. As a qualitative study, findings generate hypotheses rather than establish causation. The study addresses important gaps in understanding user perspectives and decision-making processes but cannot establish safety or efficacy of cannabis use during these sensitive periods.

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