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Maryland Department of Health
Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
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Marijuana
What is marijuana?
Marijuana is derived from the hemp plant, cannabis sativa
1
It contains THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana
1
It can be smoked using a cigarette, a pipe, or an empty cigar.
It can also be mixed into foods
1
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug by people over age 12, and in pregnant women
2,3
What are the medical consequences of marijuana use?
Hallucinations
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Paranoia
4
Increased heart rate
4
Pulmonary effects
4
Increased risk of pulmonary infection
Cough
Decreased memory
4
Social issues like relationship or career problems
4
What are the medical consequences of marijuana use in pregnancy?
Data is inconsistent
3
Decreased birth weight
5
May be associated with increased risk of depression in neonate
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May be associated with increased risk for marijuana use as an adult for neonate
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Excessive maternal weight gain
7
Resources
Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Street Terms: Drug and Drug Trade.
Retrieved November 15, 2010 from
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/
.
Agrawal, A. et al (2009). Simultaneous Cannabis and Tobacco use and Cannabis-Related Outcomes in Young Women [Electronic Version]. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 101, 8-12.
Wendell, A.D (2013). Overview and epidemiology of substance abuse in pregnancy. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology 56. 91-96.
Drug Facts: Marijuana.
Retrieved January 15, 2014 from The National Institute on Drug Abuse Web site:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
Schneider, M (2009). Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Early Life and its Consequences: Animal Models [Electronic Version]. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 259, 383-393.
Gray, T.R. et al (2010). Identifying Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Effects of Concurrent Tobacco Exposure on Neonatal Growth [Electronic Version]. Clinical Chemistry 56:9, 1442-1450.
Van Gelder, M. et al (2010).
Characteristics of Pregnant Illicit Drug Users and Associations between Cannabis and Perinatal Outcome in a Population Based Study [Electronic Version].
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 109, 243-247.
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January, 2014
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