CBD And Pregnancy: What Does Research Say?

CBD has been getting a lot of airplay and is the rage in the alternative medicine space. This supplement lays claim to regulating a lot of conditions and diseases. These conditions include nausea, inflammation, anxiety, pain, and others, all of which fall squarely in a pregnant or lactating woman’s jurisdiction. With the buzz CBD products have raised in the recent past, it makes sense why many women are looking to try them out to alleviate their symptoms. But how safe is CBD for use for this category of people?

What is CBD?

CBD is a compound derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. Short for cannabidiol, CBD is the compound responsible for all the craze about CBD products. It makes up one of over 100 cannabinoids available in the Cannabis plant. Marijuana and hemp plants are two variations of this plant that get harvested for CBD extraction.

The hemp plant gets used more readily for CBD extraction, as it only contains traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the compound responsible for giving the high most relatable to marijuana. Companies that produce CBD-related products state they remove THC from their merchandise, making them safe for use without giving the high or getting flagged in drug tests. This assurance has led many expectant mothers to try out this supplement for relief from pregnancy effects.

CBD Usage in Pregnancy and Nursing

CBD, as a supplement or conventional drug, has yet to gain enough ground on research. Clinical studies are still in the offing with animal and human test subjects trying out this compound in controlled settings. Tens of thousands of people have helped research go a long way to test the different conditions said to improve with CBD use. Such conditions include pain, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia.

While not enough research results are available for conclusive answers about CBD’s safe use on pregnant and nursing mothers, several side effects have gotten discovered over this short time. They include diarrhea, mouth dryness, drowsiness, fatigue, diminished appetite, and liver toxicity.

The use of Cannabis as a supplement has also displayed side effects in mothers and fetuses. Using Cannabis exposes you to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in Cannabis. Stillbirth, low birth weight, underdeveloped babies carried to term are some of the adverse side effects to using THC to alleviate pregnancy effects.

Companies that produce CBD products state their products are THC-free as this compound is a recreational drug that many people do not want to use. Sadly, research shows that many of the products available online contain THC and also have an inaccurate amount of CBD in them from the one displayed.

Because of these discrepancies and risks involved in using these products, the FDA, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise it better to regulate pregnancy discomfort with lifestyle changes and prescribed medication, rather than delve into supplements with potential fails.

CBD Forms

CBD comes in various forms available on different platforms. Retailers and e-commerce stores stock CBD in oil form, in oil-based capsules, in edible states like gummies and cookies, as vapes, and topical creams. The most common variety of CBD products come in the oil form and get pedaled in a dropper bottle.

You put a portion of the oil under your tongue for quick absorption into your bloodstream. This absorption ensures you get almost all the compounds into your system as you go around the digestive system, which would lose some supplement along the way. The downside to this type of product has got to be the oil’s taste and having to keep it under the tongue. The other forms of CBD come in to deal with the taste.

The other forms of CBD products are capsules, pads, drinks like teas, gummies, and vapes. All these products, including the oil, get absorbed into the bloodstream and could potentially endanger you and the child you carry. If a pregnant woman feels the need to use a CBD product, then topical creams and lotions are the best options to try. These products do not get to the bloodstream, ensuring you and your child stay safe from side effects.

Safety Standards & Legality of CBD Products

CBD has received applause, and companies have jumped on board the bandwagon of these products since marijuana farming got legalized across US states. These companies have tried to fill a niche with a supplement believed to treat numerous diseases. The market has gotten flooded by products said to be THC-free as that is the golden standard of selling any CBD product.

Since these products fall under new medication, it becomes challenging to vet their legality across the globe, or even in the United States. An excellent example across the 50 US states where each state has its laws and regulations about how you can utilize these products. Different countries have different rules as to how much is deemed acceptable. For example, the European Union allows hemp cultivation if you can maintain 0.2% THC content in the plant. Canada allows 0.3% content, while Switzerland allows up to 1% THC content.

However, independent tests have gotten done on several products that claim to be THC-free. These tests have found many of these products, especially those ordered online, to contain THC. Additionally, these same products, which claim to be organically grown, have pesticide and toxin traces. Not only that, but toxic solvents used during extraction, heavy metals, and synthetic cannabinoids (added to increase the potency of products) have gotten discovered in many of these products.

These findings do not wholesomely cover all CBD products, but several rouge elements within the ranks. CBD products have a downside that they are not regulated. This lack of regulation makes it possible to have rogue producers who might endanger the population’s lives and discredit a product that has yet to reach its most significant potential.

Final Take

CBD has great potential for treating a myriad of diseases. It has been vetted and tested for treating Dravet syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It has also gotten championed in treating Parkison’s Disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. It also regulates pain, nausea, and inflammation, which would be of great concern to you when pregnant. These are just some of the diseases and conditions lauded as treatable by CBD as the list is long and exhaustive when it comes to claims. Much research is still currently underway to find CBD its proper placement in alternative or conventional medicine.

However, the unregulated production of CBD products becomes the hindrance to learning what this supplement is competent. It is yet to get acknowledged as a medicinal drug by vetting bodies and currently takes the place of a supplement. Because of the product’s unregulated production, many products pose a threat to people’s health and well-being worldwide.

Proper mechanisms need to be set in place to regulate the production of these products. With appropriate regulation from cultivating farms, processing plants, to extraction means, CBD can take a healthy approach to vital health.

It is also true that the extent CBD can help humanity is still largely undiscovered. While you get advised to stay away from CBD products when pregnant or lactating, please seek your doctor’s counsel before you engage in them if you feel you need to take them.