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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is Smoking Marijuana Harmful During Pregnancy?

I am 17 years old, 7 months and 1 week pregnant, and I have been using marijuana on and off throughout my pregnancy (just when my nausea is at worst). I have done research on how long THC stays in the fetus' system, but have come to no definite conclusion. I do not have a prescription, as i'm sure you've assumed, and my research pointed me to the fact that the baby's fecal matter is tested after birth for marijuana as well as other things. I weigh about 140 now. Can anyone tell me how long the THC stays in the fetus' system, and possibly give me a better understanding of how this is gone about? Thanks
posted on Fri, 14 Mar 2014
Twitter Thu, 6 Aug 2015 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 7 Aug 2015 Last reviewed on
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OBGYN,  's  Response
In the United States, fetuses at risk for drug exposure (and having a teenage mother is considered a risk factor) are frequently tested at birth for drug exposure. THC is one of those drugs that are screened. Every state has different laws about how these situations are treated, but a positive drug screen in an infant usually mandates a social work referral. In an adult, THC can come up positive on a blood test (which is how they test for drugs in the hospital) up to 45 days from exposure. There is not a lot of medical information about how long the drug remains in the fetus, because it is difficult to study pregnant women who use marijuana because of legal issues, but since the drug crosses the placenta, I think it is safe to assume that the fetus can also test positive 45 days after exposure. I hope this information was helpful, and because the safety of marijuana has not been able to be evaluated fully in pregnancy, that your try alternate methods to control your nausea. Good luck with your pregnancy.
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Is Smoking Marijuana Harmful During Pregnancy?

In the United States, fetuses at risk for drug exposure (and having a teenage mother is considered a risk factor) are frequently tested at birth for drug exposure. THC is one of those drugs that are screened. Every state has different laws about how these situations are treated, but a positive drug screen in an infant usually mandates a social work referral. In an adult, THC can come up positive on a blood test (which is how they test for drugs in the hospital) up to 45 days from exposure. There is not a lot of medical information about how long the drug remains in the fetus, because it is difficult to study pregnant women who use marijuana because of legal issues, but since the drug crosses the placenta, I think it is safe to assume that the fetus can also test positive 45 days after exposure. I hope this information was helpful, and because the safety of marijuana has not been able to be evaluated fully in pregnancy, that your try alternate methods to control your nausea. Good luck with your pregnancy.