Kelly D. Harding, PhD and Nancy Poole, PhD
Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network
ISSUE:
In 2018, the Canadian government plans to introduce the Cannabis Act controlling the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada. The proposed legislation would allow adults to legally possess and use cannabis. With the upcoming legalization, attention has been drawn to the potential effects of cannabis use in a number of domains, including the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy.
It is important to note that the legal use of cannabis does not necessarily make it safe. Unlike alcohol, the implications of cannabis use during pregnancy are not adequately researched or interpreted. The serious potential lifelong effects of alcohol exposure in pregnancy are known, yet a safe level of use cannot be established.
With cannabis, neither the potential effects nor a safe level of use in pregnancy are known. Thus, it is recommended that similar public health messaging be used: that it is safest not to use alcohol or cannabis in pregnancy.
Please click to download full issue paper: CanFASD-Cannabis-Use-During-Pregnancy-Issue-Paper-Final-March-2018