Marijuana use among pregnant women is on the rise, according to a new study.
Pot is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy and, according to a research letter published in the journal JAMA on Tuesday, the prevalence of marijuana in expecting moms in California increased from 4.2 percent to 7.1 percent between 2009 and 2016 in sample groups, CNN noted.
There is also a notable uptick from 12.5 percent to 21.8 percent in the use of marijuana among pregnant Californian teens younger than 18, the researchers found. Meanwhile the use of marijuana among pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 24 in California jumped from 9.8 percent to 19 percent.
Broadening the scope, CNN noted a separate study published in JAMA that revealed an increase in the use of marijuana among pregnant women across the U.S. had increased from 2.37 percent in 2002 to 3.85 percent in 2014.
Some soon-to-be-moms are turning to marijuana to quell the uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy such as morning sickness.
"There is an increased perception of the safety of cannabis use, even in pregnancy, without data to say it's actually safe," said Dr. Torri Metz, an obstetrician at Denver Health Medical Center who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, according to The New York Times.
Experts believe that the use of marijuana could potentially harm a fetus's brain development, cognition and birth weight, The New York Times noted, and its main psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), could be transferred to a baby via breast milk.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has also cautioned against the use of marijuana among pregnant women, instead recommending alternative medicinal therapies.