Survey of medicinal cannabis use among childbearing women: patterns of its use in pregnancy and retroactive self-assessment of its efficacy against 'morning sickness'

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2006 Feb;12(1):27-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2005.09.006. Epub 2005 Dec 22.

Abstract

A majority of women experience some nausea and/or vomiting during pregnancy. This condition can range from mild nausea to extreme nausea and vomiting, with 1-2% of women suffering from the life-threatening condition hyperemesis gravidarum. Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) may be used therapeutically to mitigate pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting. This paper presents the results of a survey of 84 female users of medicinal cannabis, recruited through two compassion societies in British Columbia, Canada. Of the seventy-nine respondents who had experienced pregnancy, 51 (65%) reported using cannabis during their pregnancies. While 59 (77%) of the respondents who had been pregnant had experienced nausea and/or vomiting of pregnancy, 40 (68%) had used cannabis to treat the condition, and of these respondents, 37 (over 92%) rated cannabis as 'extremely effective' or 'effective.' Our findings support the need for further investigations into cannabis therapy for severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • British Columbia
  • Cannabis*
  • Confidentiality
  • Drug and Narcotic Control / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Female
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Morning Sickness / prevention & control*
  • Morning Sickness / psychology
  • Parity
  • Phytotherapy / methods
  • Phytotherapy / psychology*
  • Phytotherapy / statistics & numerical data*
  • Pregnancy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Self Medication / methods
  • Self Medication / psychology
  • Self Medication / statistics & numerical data
  • Stereotyping
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Treatment Outcome