Transfer of Inhaled Cannabis Into Human Breast Milk

Abstract

This study documents inhaled delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol transfer into the mother's breast milk. Low concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol were detected. The long-term neurobehavioral effect of exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the developing brain is unclear. Mothers should be cautious using cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Commentary – Marijuana use during pregnancy and premature birth: A problem likely to worsen

“…Taken together, the data suggest that prenatal cannabis use has the potential to harm the developing brain and support the recent opinion of the Committee on Obstetric Practice of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to discourage use of marijuana during pregnancy and lactation [3]. Notably, the opinion is consistent with the data to follow and with the well-established facts that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component of marijuana, crosses the placental barrier readily and during lactation can be identified in breast milk [2,4,5].…”

Cannabis and the Developing Brain: Insights into Its Long-Lasting Effects

“…Cannabis is frequently used by pregnant women (Ebrahim and Gfroerer, 2003;Brown et al, 2017;Young-Wolff et al, 2017;Agrawal et al, 2019), due to its anecdotal use as a treatment for morning sickness and its widespread acceptance as a harmless drug (Dickson et al, 2018). Moreover, nursing mothers often use cannabis without realizing that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the psychoactive cannabinoid) is transferred into breast milk and therefore poses risks to infants (Baker et al, 2018). Indeed, exposure to cannabis during critical windows of neurodevelopment has the potential to alter the endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid [eCB]) system that is critical for hardwiring the developing brain (Harkany et al, 2007;Wu et al, 2011;Torii et al, 2017).…”

Cannabinoid Exposure via Lactation in Rats Disrupts Perinatal Programming of the Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Trajectory and Select Early-Life Behaviors

“…The role of the ECS during development is well-established in animals (6,7) and humans (8)(9)(10). Importantly, consumption of cannabis results in significant quantities of THC and active metabolites in breastmilk (11)(12)(13), which transfer to offspring in both humans (14) and animals (15,16). Additionally, THC exposure has adverse impacts on fetal and perinatal neurodevelopment (17)(18)(19), with significant consequences throughout life (7,20,21).…”