Pregnant friend smoking weed.

[firefliesinjune]

I really dont know what to do about this. Its about my friend - well we aren't really close - we are neighbours who get along ok, our oldest DS go to school together.

She is nearly half way through her pregnancy but she is still smoking weed and quite a lot. She isn't "stoned" all day long she actually works most days but mostly in the evening she is smoking a lot of weed. I know this to be true as we have talked about it. She says she is too stressed to stop. Her husband smokes too.

Just recently she had very bad stomach pains and she has told me that this pregnancy is more painful than her last. I worry about the effects on her baby.

She knows I dont really approve but she isn't really the sort to care. I dont know whether I should maybe mention my concerns to the family mentor at the school who knows us both and is a really nice lady? I just feel so awful knowing she may be damaging her baby and I am not doing anything about it.

Should I be minding my own business?! If its none of my business then tell me and I will accept that and try not to get involved. I am not a busy body or gossip but this has been playing on my mind.

I dont have anything against cannabis to be honest, as long as you aren't harming anyone you can do as you like I dont care but she is harming her baby isn't she?

Any advice gratefully accepted!

[scarlettsmummy2]

I am a foster carer and have absolutely no time for irresponsible parents. I very much doubt that she is able to give her children the full attention they deserve if she is sitting doped up. It is illegal, it sends an appalling MSG to her son, it is addictive and it can lead to serious mental health problems. I don't care if that seems judgemental but I really don't approve.

[JoTheHot]

There seem to be a depressing number of people on this thread, gaily throwing around insults like irresponsible twat, who can't be arsed to first verify whether their prejudices about dope and unborns withstand scrutiny.

[DknyQueen]

Like someone up thread said, who knows what chemicals and other bad stuff she's inhaling. It's not just the weed!
In any event until her partner also quits the poor woman hasn't got a chance in hell of giving up. I think he's to blame too

[scarlettsmummy2]

I don't care if it is dangerous to the baby, it is dangerous because it causes the mother to be a poor parent. You simply can not parent properly if you are doing drugs every day. That is an addiction.

[QueenofNightmares]

Marijuana is not addictive.

[AlienRefluxovermypoppy]

scarlettesmummy You just don't know that. OP said she wasn't stoned all day, she holds down a job, and has a few joints at night, now I'm not saying that's alright, because she's pregnant, but smoking pot at night, when your kids are asleep, is safer,(imo) than drinking 3 glasses of wine, which half the country does every night, are they addicts and bad parents?

[goralka]

I beg to differ queenofnightmares - OK you won't start curling up and shaking if you stop smoking but ask anyone why they keep smoking?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Cannabis is not physically addictive. That's not the same as saying its at all addictive queenofnightmares

[Alisvolatpropiis]

*not at all.

[QueenofNightmares]

"Research has shown the overall addiction potential for cannabis to be less than for caffeine,[42] tobacco, alcohol, cocaine or heroin, but slightly higher than that for psilocybin, mescaline, LSD.[43] There is some evidence that dependence on cannabis can exist in some heavy users."

I guess if you're looking at it like that then there is need to be concerned over the potential of getting addicted to caffeine considering its health implications and the problems too much caffeine intake can cause during pregnancy.

"Recent studies have focused on the effects of coffee intake during pregnancy. A large-scale Danish study polled more than 80,000 pregnant women regarding their coffee intake. This study found that women who drank large amounts of coffee during pregnancy were more likely to experience a miscarriage."

I'm obviously not looking to cause an argument here I just find a lot of these statements to not be thought out or researched and frankly slightly scaremongering in some cases. In my opinion it needs to be all things in moderation. Marijuana can help with certain pregnancy symptoms and doctors in Jamaica will recommend pregnant women smoke it to help with morning sickness symptoms as its far more important that a woman gets some nutrition than the possibility of it causing an issue which has never been proven in fact only the opposite has. Look up the studies of Dr Melanie Dreher she studied Jamaican women who were heavy smokers as in the article I linked to she did this because other studies used women who also smoked tobacco with the marijuana took other drugs or drank alcohol at the same time and so could give a clearer report on the negative effects of which none were found.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

There has been a fair bit of scarmongering going on. I often reflect on the fact that cannabis actually has for more medical benefits,going by studies,than the "legal" drugs seen as acceptable to use. Tobacco and alcohol.

I don't think that the woman should smoke weed whilst pregnant. But I don't think that it automatically makes her a dead cert bloody awful parent who should be reported to the social services either.

[ErikNorseman]

Scarlettsmummy that is simply not true. A surprisingly huge number of people parent extremely well whilst also being regular cannabis smokers. It does not definitively cause poor parenting.

[LittleTyga]

Does anyone know why Cannabis is illegal?

Nothing whatsoever to do with the effect it has on people - everything to do with cotton growers in America -

Hemp growers were in direct competition to them and being the more powerful, the cotton growers set out to discredit Hemp by spreading untruths about how it drives people crazy - now because its illegal unlike tobacco, alcohol or caffeine - we can't test it without special permission - when test are done on it it usually reveals how marvellous this weed actually is with many amazing health properties - it can help with nausea during chemo, its a pain relief, drunk like tea it can help the symptoms of flu - It's pretty amazing stuff and if it was legalised we would be a healthier nation because of it!

[valiumredhead]

I would disagree it has nothing to do with the effect on people. Phsychosis?

[goralka]

cannabis does not induce psychosis.

[LittleTyga]

But that is because it is grown illegally and to make it grow quicker it is pumped with all sorts - if it was left to grow in the sun as a natural herb we wouldn't have all these problems with skunk and our young people.

[goralka]

in 'normal' adult brains.

[AlienRefluxovermypoppy]

Yes, OP tell her to bake it in cakes.

[valiumredhead]

What makes you say that gorika?

[valiumredhead]

Quick google www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm

[LittleTyga]

Quick Google Prof Nutt's opinion

Until it's legalised so proper tests are carried out there will always be different opinions on this. Although I think The Priory would say that wouldn't they - but Professor Nutt has no agenda!

[LittleTyga]

The conclusion......

The other paradox is that schizophrenia seems to be disappearing (from the general population) even though cannabis use has increased markedly in the last 30 years. When we were reviewing the general practice research database in the UK from the University of Keele, research consistently and clearly showed that psychosis and schizophrenia are still on the decline. So, even though skunk has been around now for 10 years, there has been no upswing in schizophrenia. In fact, where people have looked, they haven't found any evidence linking cannabis use in a population and schizophrenia.

[Moominsarescary]

Yes it can cause psychosis, so can heavy drinking. Cannabis can increase the levels of dopamine in the brain which can trigger psychosis

[Moominsarescary]

You don't have to be schizophrenic to suffer with psychosis

[LittleTyga]

No but The Professor is linking the two because schizophrenia is a psychotic experience.