Also it really cant be healthy for women pregnant or otherwise to go around seething at other pregnant women's choices. Women who tend to judge tend to be more prone to anxiety about their own choices. Too much anxiety= over production of cortisol=unhealthy baby+mum.

Best to chill the fuck out and roll a fat one.

I work in the sciences and it's my pet hate that people jump to conclusions based on poor science. There is no conclusive evidence to state that cannabis harms babies in the womb.

There is enough evidence to say that smoking a large amount of cigarettes harms unborn babies...however we're talking about 15+per day and women with asthma should lay off them altogether.

I'm not pro-cannabis BTW. I don't like it but I am pro fact based opinion.

I'm new here and just found this thread as I wondered what others opinions were.
I have never so much as held a lit cigarette to my lips, but I have enjoyed the odd cup of 'green' tea or cake since my college years.
With my second pregnancy I decided to look into the arguments for and against (I had not had any during my first pregnancy).
I came across the aforementioned study into Jamaican communities where cannabis consumption is required as part of the Rastafarian religion. Only the men smoke it as a matter of course; the women take it in tea or in tincture form. They continue this through pregnancy.
They were found to have easier labours, less birth trauma and higher birthweight babies. Added to this (make of it what you will) the babies did better in cognitive testing at the age of one than the babies in the control group.
Therefore I did feel I was okay to have some occasionally in my tea or in a bun. I did not have any for labour, I don't think that would have been right for me. DD2 was a normal weight, 7 8.
My dd2 has always been very quick to learn, very intelligent. At her eight week review my GP was amazed with her progress- he thought I'd missed a date and that she was older. She reached all of her milestones early and has not stopped surprising me.
Obviously I can't say what she would have been like otherwise. I'm just saying there's a lot of grey area.
Judge arses off if you will... But take some of mine if you do so my going out trousers fit.

Hi Riven, I am interested too cos of OH's MS. He doesnt smoke it. We watched his sister smoke herself into oblivion (she also had MS). It became very difficult to seperate the symptoms of MS from her being stoned. It is still possible to become totally dependent even if you are puffing for the right reasons and her life revolved entirely around the draw.

Lets hope they come up with something good soon.

i've judged so often i am left with merely an anus...but obviously i am always correct in my harsh judgment of others, without exception

Sativex works well for me (I have relapsing remitting as well) but its hard to get. A doctor must agree to take personal reposnisbility for the prescription and apply to the PCT for it to be funded. Most PCT's refuse. So you can get it from a private prescription from that doctor but then its £200 a month!
I no longer get it.
My GP told me to go by weed. I refuse to smoke weed cos I don't want to be stoned cos of dd and her epielpsy. So I live on tramadol and gabapentin instead. I cant wait till its finally approved.
mind you, its tastes vile. You squirt the sativex under your tongiue and you need a bit of chocolate ready cos it tastes to horrible! 20 mins later your pain is gone.
Anyone want to write to their MP's to get this proven treatment approved for MS sufferers, feel free

Riven - interested in your post. I have relapsing remitting MS take interferon injections also have had tegretol and beta blockers in the past. Stopped all 3 months bef conception of both DD's. Always paranoid about accidentally falling pregnant whilst on medication.. Have never tried medicinal cannabis though does it work?? Apologies to everyone else for dullness of this post

I use sativex and have used medicinal cannabis - i Have multiple sclerosis - but no way would I take either when pregnant. I have a brain damaged baby that I'm convinced was because I took a medicine the manufacturers assured me was safe (I phone them up and asked) during pregnancy.
There's not enough studies. Its not worth it. Its only 9 months fgs.

there is heaps of research on smoking tobacco during pregnancy just like their is now heaps of reseacrh which clearly links long term cannabis use to mental health problems.

i work with these adults when they become parents, it is highly addictive, it does cause massive mental health issues, it costs money, it is illegal, and once dependant in many cases i work with it does interfere with being a good enough parent. It is a very damaging drug that people often minimise, and most who minimise are users as there is not many professional people who would encourage or say it is ok to smoke this drug when pregnant as chances are they will continue after the child is born

I think if people smoke it during pregnancy they are showing that they put their own needs above that of their child.

Think it depends where you're getting it from. I have smoked weed in the past but found it wasn't the drug for me, and made me paranoid and freak out. Black and pollen don't seem to have the same effect and can be enjoyable on occasion. Most stuff available now is skunk however and not something I would want to subject my unborn baby too. DH has smoked it since he was a teenager and has a great deal of mental health issues. Not sure how much can be attributed to weed, but he needs to smoke it every night to get to sleep at the mo.
The stronger forms of skunk, that can potentially be sprayed with glass (to mimic the appearance of THC) would not be something I would touch pregnant or not now. I think if you smoke all the time, you lose the glorious giggly feeling that occasional users get. I plan to have the odd one at parties after DS arrives.
If you know your supplier/grow it yourself, it's possibly fine whilst pregnant. I would be loath to smoke anything whilst pregnant though, esp. as most people smoke with tobacco and herbal tobacco is not particularly great for you either. Weed tea may be an option for some if it helps with morning sickness/pain. I am 32 weeks now and may consider having this to help with labour pains myself.