Ep. 38 - Cannabis During Breastfeeding: Just Say No! (Part 3)

Cannabis Nurse Truths

We continue to examine cannabis use during pregnancy, and in the last few episodes of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we highlighted the adverse physical and psychodevelopmental concerns that are associated with cannabis during pregnancy. None of the studies indicated that cannabis use during pregnancy was a good idea.

In this episode of CNT, we consider the effects of cannabis use AFTER pregnancy, the postpartum period, in which many new mothers choose to breastfeed their newborn. Research indicates that cannabinoids are transferred through breast milk and remain in the breast milk for up to 6 weeks. Since we already know that cannabinoids can affect fetal development during pregnancy, it is concerning that women who use cannabis during breastfeeding are also affecting the developing neuromodulatory systems of their newborn. In other words, it is also a good idea to just say no during the postpartum period if you are a breastfeeding mother.

EPISODE RESOURCES

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Baker, T., Datta, P., Rewers-Felkins, K., Thompson, H., Kallem, R.R., & Hale, T.W. (2018). Transfer of inhaled cannabis into human breast milk. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 131(5), 783–788. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002575

Barbosa-Leiker, C., Burduli, E., Smith, C. L., Brooks, O., Orr, M., & Gartstein, M. (2020). Daily cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum in a state with legalized recreational cannabis. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 14(6), 467–474. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000000625

Bergeria, C.L., & Heil, S.H. (2015). Surveying lactation professionals regarding marijuana use and breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine: The Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 10(7), 377–380. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2015.0051

Bhatia, D., Rosenberg, S., Rees, R., & Brooks-Russell, A. (2024). Perinatal cannabis use and cannabis use during breastfeeding: The role of health care workers. American Journal of Perinatology, 41(S 01), e2686–e2695. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2145-7775

Crume, T. L., Juhl, A. L., Brooks-Russell, A., Hall, K. E., Wymore, E., & Borgelt, L. M. (2018). Cannabis use during the perinatal period in a state with legalized recreational and medical marijuana: The association between maternal characteristics, breastfeeding patterns, and neonatal outcomes. Journal of Pediatrics, 197, 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.02.005

Dakkak, H., Brown, R.A., Twynstra, J., Charbonneau, K., & Seabrook, J. (2018). The perception of pre- and post-natal marijuana exposure on health outcomes: A content analysis of Twitter messages. Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, 11, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3233/NPM-17133

Govahi, A., Eghbali, S., Ajdary, M., Amjadi, F., Nazari, M., Kazorgah, F. M., & Mehdizadeh, M. (2024). Cannabidiol impairs sperm quality and function in adult mice. Middle East Fertility Society Journal, 29(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43043-024-00184-8

Graves, L.E., Robert, M., Allen, V.M., Dama, S., Gabrys, R.L., Tanguay, R.L., Turner, S.D., Green, C.R., & Cook, J.L. (2022). Guideline No. 425b: Cannabis Use Throughout Women’s Lifespans – Part 2: Pregnancy, the Postnatal Period, and Breastfeeding. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 44(4), 436-444.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogc.2022.01.013

Hill, M.G., & Reed, K.L. (2017). Chapter 55 Marijuana and Breastfeeding. In Handbook of Cannabis and Related Pathologies (pp. 527–532). Elsevier. ISBN 9780128007563. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800756-3.00064-8

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Navarrete, F., García-Gutiérrez, M.S., Gasparyan, A., Austrich-Olivares, A., Femenía, T., & Manzanares, J. (2020). Cannabis use in pregnant and breastfeeding women: Behavioral and neurobiological consequences. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.586447

Panday, J., Taneja, S., Popoola, A., Pack, R., Greyson, D., McDonald, S.D., Black, M., Murray-Davis, B., Darling, E., & Vanstone, M. (2022). Clinician responses to cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation: A systematic review and integrative mixed-methods research synthesis. Family Practice, 39(3), 504–514. https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmab146

Smith, C.B., Schmidt, J., Holdsworth, E.A., Caffé, B., Brooks, O., Williams, J.E., Gang, D.R., McGuire, M.A., McGuire, M.K., Barbosa-Leiker, C., & Meehan, C.L. (2024). Cannabis use, decision making, and perceptions of risk among breastfeeding individuals: The Lactation and Cannabis (LAC) Study. Journal of Cannabis Research, 6(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-023-00212-w

Wymore, E.M., Palmer, C., Wang, G.S., Metz, T.D., Bourne, D.W.A., Sempio, C., & Bunik, M. (2021). Persistence of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in human breast milk. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(6), 632–634. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.6098