Cannabis use during pregnancy has been increasing in the US, and many people may be wondering what impacts this trend could have on children. Some previous research has pointed towards the possibility that prenatal cannabis exposure could increase the likelihood of having autistic children. But a recent study—one of the largest ever conducted on cannabis and autism—found that cannabis exposure in early pregnancy did not lead to higher odds of an autism diagnosis.

What is autism?

Autism is classified as a developmental disorder. It impacts how individuals interact with others, communicate, learn, and experience life. One in 36 Americans are diagnosed with autism; symptoms usually appear during the first two years of a person’s life. Autism is also a spectrum condition—it encompasses a wide variety of different symptoms that an individual might experience, and different levels of health care support may be needed.

Some of the challenges that autistic people might face include having a style of communication that non-autistic people have trouble understanding, having sensory issues because of heightened or reduced sensory perception, and having more repetitive or restricted patterns of behavior than non-autistic peers.

While medical literature classifies autism as a disorder, many autistic advocates point out that many of the “symptoms” of autism are not inherently problematic or disordered; they simply clash with non-autistic expectations, leaving autistic people marginalized. 

Previous research on cannabis exposure and autism

The recent study, conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente and UC San Francisco, evaluated whether cannabis use in early pregnancy could increase the likelihood of a woman giving birth to an autistic child. Autism has been linked to a variety of potential environmental causes, but most research points towards genetics as the primary cause.  

One study, published in 2020, did find an association between prenatal cannabis use and autism, leading to questions about whether cannabis use could cause autism. However, otherstudies found no associations. Unfortunately, those studies utilized self-reporting methods, which may have skewed the results due to a potential underreporting of cannabis use. 

Researchers in the recent Kaiser / UCSF used more rigorous methods to determine whether prenatal cannabis use caused higher rates of autism in children.

Studying prenatal cannabis and autism

This recent study was one of the largest ever done on the topic (it included 178,948 pregnancies), but it also utilized a more robust data set for cannabis use and autism. The study incorporated information from Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s integrated health-care system, which universally screens pregnant individuals for cannabis use—via both self-reporting and a urine toxicology test. Kaiser also routinely screens and assesses children for autism.

The researchers also included related factors in their analysis like sociodemographic data, the additional medications and substances that a mother consumes, and general health conditions.

Prenatal cannabis use not associated with autism

While an initial analysis appeared to indicate an association between autism and prenatal cannabis use, the association disappeared after adjusting for factors like sociodemographic characteristics and the medical conditions of the mother.

This lack of association suggests that mothers who use cannabis during pregnancy are more likely to have autistic children—not because of the cannabis itself, but because of other factors that also increase likelihood of cannabis use. 

While the researchers don’t identify those specific factors, these results shouldn’t be that surprising: For one, Autism has high hereditary rates. Furthermore, cannabis is sometimes used as an effective treatment for symptoms of autism. Separate studies have noted that autistic individuals tend to have lower levels of endocannabinoids in their bodies, which could suggest an impairment of the endocannabinoid system. 

Mothers with autism—or other conditions tied to the same genes as autism—are more likely to both use cannabis and have autistic children; this correlation may help explain the initial results of the study. Still, only more research will offer conclusive answers to these questions. 

Limitations and future research

This study used a strong methodology, with a large and diverse data set. Still, it was limited by the fact that cannabis use was only measured in early pregnancy. Future studies should measure cannabis use throughout pregnancy, and ideally include information like the methods and dosing of the cannabis itself.

While this study suggests prenatal cannabis use is not associated with autism, the authors nonetheless caution that there is evidence that cannabis can impact development in other ways and should be avoided during pregnancy. 

Federally funded medical research reveals marijuana not tied to autism.

Drinking, smoking and consuming marijuana while pregnant is never recommended. Over the course of history, woman have consumed liquor, especially during the period when clean water was hard to find, but child mortality was high. With advances in medicine, it has been discovered some activities, like drinking and smoking cigarettes, can cause harm to the baby. No one is saying expectant women should have booze, buds, or cigarettes. But early on, when a woman doesn’t know she is expecting, she might have engaged in these habits

RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

One of the concerns circling around cannabis is how it can affect a baby’s development.  While more research needs to be done, two new studies have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which provides some good news. The first study  focused on discovering if maternal cannabis use during early pregnancy associated with risk of child autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This  study included 178 948 mother-child combinations. The children were born between 2011 and 2019 to pregnant Kaiser Permanente Northern California members screened for prenatal cannabis use during pregnancy. Statistical analysis was conducted February 2023 to March 2024. The findings suggest maternal cannabis use during early pregnancy was not associated with child ASD, but additional research should be conducted to replicate the findings.

Another study released this week found maternal cannabis use during early pregnancy was not associated with speech and language disorders, global delay, or motor delay. The investigation into marijuana and childhood development and included 119 976 pregnancies among 106 240 unique pregnant individuals.

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A reason for the study is with legal marijuana increased, this is increased discussion around it being a cause of developmental development among babies. But  documented associations between maternal prenatal cannabis use and adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and low birthweight have not be in a study. There has been little research assessing the association of maternal prenatal cannabis use and childhood developmental outcomes, this study was done to provide a scientific fact around the information.

More research needs to be done, and like alcohol and cigarettes which are harmful for the body, not one is saying it is good to use why expecting, but it is good to have information grounded in facts.

Around 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism in the U.S. according to the data. Around 1% of the world’s population or 75 million people has autism spectrum disorder. One out of every 100 children globally are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, associated with the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. The most effective interventions available are behavioral therapies based on applied behavioral analysis (ABA). But where is medical marijuana with autism?

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Rachel Scanlon and Steve Sawyer are a couple who have an autistic daughter that we’ll refer to as “K.” At two years old, K. was diagnosed with autism at 5 she showed signs of aggression toward other and at 7 toward herself.  They discovered CannaKids and wee,  consult a doctor who recommended starting on the lowest possible dose of marijuana and watch for side effects. She starting behaving better and became more talkative, compliant, and calm. Unfortunately, an anonymous tip lead to a social worker being called in and trouble ensured.  Now it is being tried in front of the circuit court and the law will decide if medical marijuana can help young with autism.

Some studies show cannabis reduced the number and/or intensity of different symptoms, including hyperactivity, attacks of self-mutilation and anger, sleep problems, anxiety, restlessness, psychomotor agitation, irritability, aggressiveness perseverance, and depression. Moreover, they found an improvement in cognition, sensory sensitivity, attention, social interaction, and language. The most common adverse effects were sleep disorders, restlessness, nervousness and change in appetite.

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Medical cannabis is usually welcomed by the families of young treatment-resistant ASD patients, often driven by evidence of CBD as a successful treatment for ASD-related symptoms and comorbidities (e.g., Dravet syndrome, Rett syndrome, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome), and as a somewhat natural product, devoid of any adverse effects. Unfortunately, lack of extensive research has not made a clear path. The occurrence of adverse outcomes is unclear due to the wide range of cannabis-based medications’ compositions and dosages within the studies.  Until marijuana is under the FDA, which would ensure consistent manufactures and dosage, it is still a challenge for patients.