Every state that has legalized medical marijuana has different rules about why medical conditions or symptoms qualify someone for a card, including morning sickness. In some states, any condition that a doctor thinks could be helped by cannabis qualifies, while in other states, cannabis use is strictly regulated to only terminal or severely ill patients.
What is morning sickness?
Morning sickness, a form on nausea and vomiting experienced by nearly 70% of all pregnant women in the United States, can be mild or quite severe, leading to dehydration, weight loss, and even hospitalization.
Does morning sickness respond to cannabis?
Nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite are three symptoms that cannabis is very good at relieving. This is because your body’s endocannabinoid system, which is made of marijuana-like neurotransmitters and cannabinoid receptors, control appetite and feeding.
Smoking or vaping cannabis can provide almost immediate relief from morning sickness. However, the thought of pregnant women smoking marijuana is why doctors and politicians are very much against using cannabis for morning sickness. Non-smokable products such as cannabis tincture under the tongue, THC gummies, or cannabis drinks are a preferred method for avoid inhaling cannabis smoke, but may take longer to work.
Is morning sickness a qualifying condition?
While nausea and vomiting are qualifying conditions in some states as part of chronic illnesses, most states do not consider morning sickness to be a qualifying condition for a medical marijuana card,. This is partly due to the temporary nature of morning sickness as well as the stigma associated with pregnant women using cannabis..
Should you lie?
Many pregnant women who wish to get a medical marijuana recommendation while pregnant often apply for other qualifying conditions that they may or may not have, such as pain, insomnia, or anxiety, and do not disclose the real reason they are seeking the card.
Stating another reason for getting your card besides morning sickness may increase your chances of getting your medical marijuana card, although it is not the most ethical way to do so.
Use a telehealth service
Whether or not it is legal to get a medical marijuana card as a pregnant woman in your state, you may still face stigma from the doctor seeing you and get rejected. One way to avoid this is by using a medical marijuana card service that is performed online via video telehealth sessions. You can easily frame the camera on your phone or computer to not show off any baby bump.
Does your state have adult-use marijuana dispensaries?
In states where “recreational marijuana” or “adult-use marijuana” dispensaries are available, you do not need a medical marijuana card to obtain cannabis. These states are the easiest to obtain cannabis, as many also have delivery services where cannabis can be delivered to your home without anyone questioning why you should or shouldn’t be purchased cannabis products while pregnant. You can find medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries nearest to you using a directory site such as Weedmaps.
Have you tried CBD products first?
It’s possible you might be able to control your morning sickness with CBD oil product that contain less than 0.3% THC and are sold legally outside of marijuana dispensaries online or in health stores. Some types of CBD oil that have ginger or peppermint oil in them may be especially helpful for morning sickness.
It’s possible your doctor can prescribe THC
Part of the stigma surrounding cannabis use in pregnant women is that it’s not a prescription drug that has been shown in clinical trials to be safe. There is one form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, that is available as a prescription drug.
Prescription THC is called by the brand name Marinol, and has been prescribed since the 1980s to increase appetite and stop nausea and vomiting associated with HIV and cancer. While these types of nausea and vomiting are different from morning sickness, there are records of pregnant women being prescribed Marinol. These women usually have a persistent and severe form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Marinol is not know to cause birth defects or cognitive problems later in the child’s life. While it hasn’t been shown to be toxic, it also hasn’t been studied in a clinical trial in pregnant women for safety or efficacy. Even open-minded doctors consider it a last resort for pregnant women who are extremely malnourished from hyperemesis gravidarum.
Will your doctor prescribe you Marinol? It depends. You likely have to be experienced severe morning sickness and have tried all other prescription options with no success. Many doctors are not aware of the relatively safe profile of this drug in pregnant women, so they may reject your request. However, an open-minded doctor may appreciate that you are trying to use a prescription drug rather go behind there back with untested and possibly illegal marijuana use.
Weigh the benefits of risks of using cannabis
No matter whether you choose to stick to CBD oil products, get your medical marijuana card, go to an Adult-Use marijuana dispensary, or get prescribed Marinol, do your research. It’s important to know what the possible impact of using THC or CBD on your baby’s development. Make sure you are using the least amount of cannabis to treat your symptoms to reduce exposure and practice other forms of harm reduction.
Did you use cannabis for morning sickness? Were you able to get a medical marijuana card? Share your experience in the comments below.
Dr. Michele Ross is a Ph.D. neuroscientist who has been providing cannabis education to women, doctors, and industry professionals for over a decade and created the first Cannabis & Motherhood certification course. She is the author of Vitamin Weed and CBD Oil For Health.