Inside STAT: Pregnant women and providers grapple with how to talk about marijuana

(DOM SMITH/STAT)

As more states have legalized marijuana and the sale of products containing CBD have skyrocketed, clinicians and health groups are increasingly grappling with how to talk to women about pot use during pregnancy. Providers are keen to have conversations with their pregnant patients, since marijuana can cross the placenta and reach the fetus, and some studies suggest the drug is associated with low birthweight. But these conversations don’t always happen. Still, providers say that it’s important to just ask women, much like they would be asked about alcohol use, whether they use marijuana or CBD cream, especially since many women don’t consider marijuana to be a drug whose use needs disclosing. STAT’s Megan Thielking has more here.