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Researchers behind a recent study found that 82% of pregnant women were able to find relief by using marijuana, which was also effective in helping them gain weight.
Pregnancy-related nausea is one of the most common experiences among expectant mothers. Around half of expecting mothers experience it. The nausea can strike any time: day or night, and for some, it can last the whole day long. It varies in severity; some people only have mild nausea while for other women, it can be debilitating — so much so, that they can even lose their appetite.
In the medical world, this is known as hyperemesis gravidarum, and is usually treated with any of several conventional pharmaceutical drugs. However, many of these drugs don’t work for women. When pregnant women are unable to eat due to severe nausea, this can have serious and fatal implications: low birth weight in infants, miscarriage, dehydration, encelopathy, and depression are among the many risks.
A new study published in the journal Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde has found that cannabis actually works better than prescription drugs when it comes to treating hyperemesis gravidarum. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles together with researchers from Oregon’s Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation polled 550 people who experienced nausea while pregnant. The results showed that 96% of respondents said they used anti-emetic medications while 14% said they used marijuana. A majority of those who did use marijuana reported that they did so because the anti-emetics were not effective in treating this condition.
Additionally, 82% of those who used marijuana said they were able to find relief and it was effective in helping them gain weight. “This study adds to the growing literature supporting antiemetic properties of cannabis and cannabinoid compounds while also suggesting their potential to treat HG… A minority of respondents in this survey reported using cannabis for HG; however, those who used cannabis or CBPs [cannabis-based products] reported more frequent relief from HG symptoms compared to those who used prescription anti-emetics,” the authors concluded.
The authors added: “Cannabis products may be perceived as a more effective alternative, but more research is required to understand its mechanism and safety… In the meantime, providers must weigh unknown risks of recommending cannabis.. with the well-established risk of adverse and fetal outcomes for refractory HG.”
Other Studies
There have been similar studies and reports yielding positive outcomes among pregnant women who use cannabis for HG.
In 2021, a study out of Israel analyzing four reports revealed that inhaling cannabis has had beneficial outcomes and improved quality of life for subjects with HG. Researchers at the Shamir Hospital and Ariel University analyzed four women in particular, who were tasked to undergo evaluation prior to and after cannabis use.
To Read The Rest Of This Article By Terry Hacienda on The Fresh Toast
Published: September 05, 2022
Founder & Interim Editor of L.A. Cannabis News
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