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

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.

• Authors: Rachel E Westfall, Patricia A Janssen, Philippe Lucas, Rielle Capler
• Journal: Complementary therapies in clinical practice (Complement Ther Clin Pract) Vol. 15 Issue 4 Pg. 242-6 (11 2009) ISSN: 1873-6947 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19880090 (Publication Type: Journal Article)