Changes in Utilization of Marijuana During Pregnancy Before and After Legalization in New Mexico

Authors

Michael Apostol, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States
Colton Miller, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States
Jacob Torres, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States
Jessie R. Maxwell, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

4-13-2023

Abstract

IRB number: 22-022

Category: Original research vs. In-progress research

Contact person: Jessie Maxwell, MD; JRMaxwell@salud.unm.edu

Background: In 2021, New Mexico legalized marijuana (cannabinoids) for recreational use. Legalization indicates increasing public health significance given the frequency of use during pregnancy, as in-utero cannabinoid exposure has been linked with decreases in birth weight and alterations in neuropsychological development. As more states legalize the recreational use of cannabinoids, it is important to understand the impact this has on use during pregnancy. Thus, we investigated the utilization of cannabinoids in pregnant individuals before and after recreational use legalization, with the hypothesis that the incidence of prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE) has increased since early 2021.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted including pregnant individuals who delivered a liveborn infant at the University of New Mexico Hospital between January 2019 – March 2021. We divided the dyads into a control group and prenatal cannabinoid exposure based on urine toxicology screens and self-reported cannabinoid use. A prospective chart review was then completed from November 2021 – November 2022 with the same parameters to compare cannabinoid use between the two time epochs, which represent pre- and post- recreational cannabinoid legalization. Descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages for all variables were obtained. A Chi-Square test was used to examine differences between prenatal cannabinoid exposure before and after legalization, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: 1,579 dyads were reviewed in total, with 767 controls and 434 PCE prior to legalization and 276 controls and 99 PCE after legalization. Analysis continues to evaluate for difference between the PCE and control groups before and after legalization. Conclusion: To be determined

Comments

Poster presented at Pediatric Research Forum

Recommended Citation

Apostol, Michael; Colton Miller; Jacob Torres; and Jessie R. Maxwell. "Changes in Utilization of Marijuana During Pregnancy Before and After Legalization in New Mexico." (2023). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_2023_pediatric_research/8