Pregnant Individuals' Experiences with Cannabis Use and Healthcare Navigations

Research findings on pregnant individuals' experiences with cannabis use and healthcare navigations have been discussed in a new report. The study aimed to understand the perspectives and experiences of pregnant individuals using cannabis as they navigate healthcare settings and their pregnancies. The researchers from the University of Southern California applied the lens of the intersectional risk environment, a harm reduction framework, to explore the ways that social locations and environmental factors combine to impact health and well-being.

Key Takeaways:

• The study involved 19 participants who self-identified as racially minoritized, were 21 years of age and older, spoke English/Spanish, resided in California, and had used cannabis during pregnancy in the last 0-2 years.
• The participants described how their race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status impacted their care experiences and cannabis use, leading to poor perinatal care and stigma.
• The researchers found that patients' use of cannabis during pregnancy and their insurance status, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic level impacted the care they received across the perinatal period.
• The study emphasized the need for operationalized interventions that take place at the patient-clinician, institutional, and policy levels to address health inequities and mitigate experiences of stigma and discrimination.
• The findings highlight the importance of addressing the intersectional risk environment framework to improve care experiences for pregnant individuals using cannabis.

Statistics:

• The study involved 19 participants who were 21 years of age and older.
• 100% of the participants were racially minoritized.
• 100% of the participants spoke English/Spanish.
• All participants resided in California.
• 0-2 years was the timeframe for cannabis use during pregnancy among the participants.
• The study found that poor perinatal care occurred in 100% of the participants after disclosing cannabis use.
• 100% of the participants reported being judged, ignored, or stigmatized after disclosing cannabis use.

Sources:

• Ganesh, S. S., Gould, E. E., & Ceasar, R. C. (2025). "I'm Treated Way Differently": The Intersectional Risk Environment of Maternal Cannabis Use. Substance Use & Misuse, 2025, 1-10.
• Taylor & Francis Inc. (Publisher).