I tested my breast milk for THC. Here’s what I found
Before getting pregnant, cannabis advocate and founder of cannabis-based wellness brand OM, Maya Elisabeth wanted to pursue her research. As states reform their marijuana laws, self-reported and collected data show that more and more pregnant women are using cannabis (it’s the most common illicit substance used by pregnant patients). Many licensed pharmacies are willing to give recommendations to pregnant women. She was a regular and heavy cannabis user and her brand, founded in 2008, emphasized cannabis use for uterine health and relief of menstrual-related symptoms; What consequences could this have for your baby? Unfortunately, no one could really tell.
“Because cannabis is a federally illegal plant, there aren’t any reputable studies on the subject being conducted in America,” she says. “Maybe this is new, but it’s been like this for ages — you can’t get funding for something that’s illegal at the federal level. So even the information about this topic is pretty taboo. When people talk about this topic, they feel scared and worried; maybe they could risk having their child taken away from them, so that’s a pretty hot topic.”
THC in Breast Milk: Science and Punishment
Currently, the CDC has no established recommendation regarding cannabis use during and after pregnancy; “The data are not enough to say yes or no.”
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 24 states plus DC consider use of a controlled substance (including cannabis) during pregnancy to be grounds for prosecuting child molestation charges, even (though not all) in states where it is medically and recreationally legal. As Leafly previously reported, studies of the effects of cannabis on developing fetuses and newborns only date back to the 1980s, and because of the ethical concerns surrounding the research, “scientists have had to rely on self-reporting and biochemical analysis. These are the two least invasive research methods, but both methods introduce complications in the study data that can lead to inconsistent or downright misleading results.”
So Elisabeth, whose OM brand has won more than 40 cannabis competition awards and was the first licensed adult product manufacturer in California, turned to online mom forums. Here, hundreds of women from across the country shared their experiences at the interface between cannabis use and motherhood, including breastfeeding. Her son was born healthy in early 2021 and Elisabeth chose to breastfeed him. Her partner, who is not a cannabis user, was concerned about the possibility of transmission of THC from mother to baby through milk.
I did all this research because I was like, ‘Oh shit, am I getting the baby high?’ I was super nervous. I also felt defensive and anxious.
Maya Elisabeth, Founder, OM
“I was a few months postpartum and had the opportunity to be a judge on a competition where I ended up inhaling a lot of organic cannabis at a super low temperature,” she says. “My [partner] had raised concerns with me that ‘hey, I’m nervous your breast milk might get the baby high.’ I did all this research because I was like, ‘Oh shit, am I getting the baby high? I was super nervous. I also felt defensive and scared.”
Straight to the lab results
Because cannabinoids are fat-soluble, THC can affect a parent’s milk production and “can be detected in breast milk for up to six days after smoking.”
However, this does not guarantee that THC will actually make its way into the milk supply and baby. For Elisabeth, who lives in the Bay Area, she wanted to be sure her cannabis use didn’t reach her baby while providing him with the nutrients and good bacteria that breastfeeding provides.
“I had this aha moment. I was like, ‘Oh, I could have my breast milk tested in the friggin’ lab, dude!’”
In all states and Canada where adult marijuana is legal, all products must be tested by an independent laboratory for precise potency and dosage, as well as potential traces of solvents, pesticides, mold, and contaminants. She already had good relationships with labs for her products, so she pumped some milk, tagged it “BM,” and shipped it to SC Labs without revealing what it was.
Their findings were “undetectable” for all cannabis-derived compounds. She has since posted the results publicly on her company’s Instagram page, where she amassed over 7,200 likes and 620 comments by the time of publication.
“There were so many comments and it was all people tagging new moms. It’s such a common belief that smoking cannabis while breastfeeding is somehow harmful, but there really isn’t really any data to back that up. have access to a laboratory [where] we can test our own body, it’s liberating.”
Data have yet to show damage
Although her results were a relief, Elisabeth was rightly concerned. dr Natalie Davis, who is both a neonatologist and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has seen patients come to her after being turned down from lactation and breastfeeding consultations at other hospitals because they tested positive for THC. She has worked at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital since 2013 and is a regular visitor to the NICU. The hospital screens every mother who comes to give birth for drug use, including cannabis, which is illegal in Maryland as a recreational activity.
She is currently leading an ongoing study into the possible effects of THC-positive mothers breastfeeding their preterm infants, with initial results presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics national conference last fall.
“This is from a family I’ve looked after; The mother tested positive at another hospital and felt judged and traumatized,” she tells Leafly. “What we didn’t find is that babies exposed to marijuana got worse. They were no better, but no major illnesses [were found] when we have controlled things in our analysis. I can’t say it’s safe; This is just a part we are trying to eliminate. Much more needs to be done. I want moms to be able to make informed decisions without unnecessary guilt.”
Real Proven Harms: Stigma, Guilt, Fear, and Bans
With guilt comes fear. Stigma is still a powerful tool against parents who are curious about cannabis use, and many parents continue to skip their cannabis use when consulting their doctor, even in legal states. In some states, where drug use may be grounds for an investigation to separate children from their parents, child welfare laws have not been updated even though cannabis has become legal. As with other discriminatory cannabis-related practices, the women and parents most at risk are Black, Latina, and low-income women.
Melanie Julion, certified doula and founder of The Cannabis Doula, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in DC, says that while it’s great to see more “cannamons” openly embracing their use, most of them have but are white. In her work as a doula, she doesn’t push cannabis use but helps families find resources to make informed decisions that lower risk factors, like access to tested, pesticide-free cannabis and finding compassionate doctors.
“Parents are being criminalized for their cannabis use, especially black and Hispanic families. They are denied care and afraid that their children will be taken away from them,” she says. “It is important to know how to navigate in this system. The stigma is really, really bad.”
Related
The Parent Trap: How Old Drug Laws Punish Families in Legal Cannabis States
Julion herself used cannabis during her pregnancy in 2015, after working at a licensed medical cannabis cultivation facility and learning about the endocannabinoid system. The Cannabis Doula was officially established in 2018 to reconnect childbearing parents with the legacy of cannabis and its potential for medicinal uses dating back thousands of years. She has worked with families whose parents and grandparents used cannabis during pregnancy and is yet to find that anti-cannabis issues such as cognitive issues and low birth weight are manifesting themselves in the babies born to THC positive mothers in her care were born.
“‘Is it safe?’ This is the question I get the most. And that answer depends on so many factors. I encourage families to engage and individualize with cannabis counselors, doctors and their caregivers. We are all so different and every pregnancy is different .I understand both sides, and I raise families on both sides.”
Amelie Williams
Freelance cannabis journalist Amelia Williams is a longtime budtender and a graduate of San Francisco State University’s journalism program. Williams has contributed to the San Francisco Chronicle’s GreenState, MG Magazine, Culture Magazine, Cannabis Now and is an author of the Barbary Coast Dispensary’s Bud Blog.
Check out Amelia Williams’ articles
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