Other laws affecting pregnancy lag behind legal pot

The legalization of cannabis, without repealing certain policies, could widen gaps in health and social equity around pregnancy, a new commentary argues.

A number of states across the country have legalized recreational cannabis.

“This is the perfect time to consider repealing policies that criminalize pregnant women for substance use and instead focus on health education, treatment, and supporting research that will develop regulatory policies that protect the health of mothers and their children,” says Qiana L. Brown, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers School of Social Work.

Brown is coauthor of a recent commentary in JAMA Network Open that discusses strategies to promote health and social equity among pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive age who use cannabis. The authors write that there’s a need for regulatory policies that protect women, infants, and children; inform women of risks; and ensure access to substance use treatment.

Here, Brown elaborates on the issue:

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