Motivations for Cannabis Use During Pregnancy: An Analysis of 2017–2021 Pregnancy Assessment Monitoring System Data

BACKGROUND: a comprehensive descriptive analysis of existing surveillance system data. METHODS: Using data from the 2017-2021 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Marijuana Supplement, we estimated weighted prevalence estimates of self-reported motivations for cannabis use during pregnancy. We examined variations in motivations across sociodemographic characteristics and frequency of use. We also examined write-in responses for motivations for cannabis use. FINDINGS: In our sample representing approximately 802,954 live births from 10 U.S. states, the most common motivations for prenatal cannabis use were for mental health reasons (82.81%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 77.52, 87.06), to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms (77.10%; 95% CI: 70.51, 82.59), to relieve pain during pregnancy (48.67%; 95% CI: 41.84, 55.56), for fun or relaxation (40.18%; 95% CI: 33.69, 47.04), and to relieve symptoms of a chronic condition (26.31%; 95% CI: 20.55, 33.01). Most women (84.32%) reported two or more reasons for use, which was associated with daily or near-daily use. Qualitative analysis of write-in responses identified alleviation of pregnancy-related symptoms (e.g., nausea/vomiting, appetite, sleeplessness) as the most common motivation for use (54.90%). CONCLUSIONS: Given a growing body of evidence about adverse health outcomes associated with prenatal cannabis use, findings underscore the importance of patient-provider communication and messaging about safe alternatives to cannabis use during pregnancy.