Facebook is cracking down on posts with a sexual nature, including emojis that may have sexual implications.
Social media websites have been facing more pressure to limit the sexual content that reaches users. Last year, Tumblr banned all sorts of sexual content and so did Craigslist, prompting impassioned responses from all sorts of people. Now, Facebook, which also owns Instagram, is cracking down on posts with a sexual nature, including emojis that may have sexual implications. Confused? You’re not alone.
According to XBIZ, an adult industry website, Facebook updated their community standards last year, but it was only recently that the final corrections became effective. Emojis of a sexual nature, like eggplants and peaches, play a part when the post appears to solicit or coordinate sexual encounters between adults.
“Content makes the aforementioned offer or ask using one of the following sexually suggestive elements: Contextually specific and commonly sexual emojis or emoji strings, or Regional sexualized slang, or Mentions or depictions of sexual activity (including hand drawn, digital, or real world art) such as: sexual roles, sex positions, fetish scenarios, state of arousal, act of sexual intercourse or activity (sexual penetration or self-pleasuring), or Imagery of real individuals with nudity covered by human parts, objects, or digital obstruction, including long shots of fully nude butts.”
Since their explanation is vague and up to interpretation, this could mean that uploading a post with a peach emoji, something that’s very common, might result in a ban. Facebook community guidelines also state that after several warnings and banned posts, your account could be deactivated.
Where are people going to go for their sexy content among friends? Is Twitter the answer? We’ve experienced that once and it wasn’t great.
Compared to non-cannabis states, adult-use states experienced a 11% drop in binge drinking. Analysts believe further marijuana legalization will see subsequent drops.
We know that marijuana legalization is dramatically reshaping American lifestyles. Millennials are choosing cannabis over alcohol and one international study found that countries with legal marijuana saw a 12% drop in alcohol purchases. Legalization isn’t just lowering alcohol consumption, however; it’s also changing how people drink when they choose to do so.
Investment bank firm Cowen and Co. has placed an emphasis on covering the cannabis industry from a Wall Street perspective. As of 2016, Cowen and Co. reports binge drinking in recreational marijuana states have fell 9% against the national average. When compared to non-cannabis states, those rates dropped by 11%.
Currently, newly added states like California and Nevada still experienced higher rates of alcohol and lower rates of marijuana consumption. It’s worth putting those two states in context, however. Nevada has Las Vegas, the binge drinking capital of the world. Taxes and licensing fees in California, meanwhile, have pushed consumers away from legal marijuana markets — the state’s black market has eclipsed its legal one as of late.
“It is reasonable to assume that as more states continue to legalize adult-use cannabis, alcohol binge drinking rates will continue to falter,” Cowen said in a release to Financial Buzz.
Photo by Jamie Grill/Getty Images
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, 17% of Americans participate in binge drinking. That means that 1 in 6 Americans admit to binge drinking four or more times a month.
This isn’t just fueled by college frat parties or millennials. A study published earlier this year found that 1 in 10 seniors (65 and older) qualifies as a “binge drinker”. Timothy S. Naimi, an alcohol epidemiologist who teaches at Boston University, told The New York Times the 1-in-10 number is “undoubtedly an underestimate.”
Curiously, marijuana legalization had almost no impact on binge drinking in Canada. Those provinces with the highest rates of marijuana consumption haven’t seen a subsequent drop in alcohol use.
This week’s column features a couple of dogs in costume, two puppies playing with a stick, the smartest dog in the world and a puppy who loves to drink rain water.
There’s no better pick-me-up than the one you get when you see a clip of an animal acting silly, which is why we’ve compiled this weekly column. These short videos feature all sorts of animals and can provide that much needed mid-week rush of endorphins, anywhere at any time.
This week’s column features a couple of dogs in costume, two puppies playing with a stick, the smartest dog in the world and a puppy who loves to drink rain water. Have a look!
Halloween
Dog costumes are basically the best part about Halloween, but these costumes of a Ghostbuster and a ghost has got to be the best idea ever filmed. How can other costumes compete with this?
Instead of fighting over a stick, these two guys are happy to carry it around and split the burden between the two. There’s perfect music and great synchronicity. What more do you need?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4NVBEUgaMu/
The smartest dog in the world
This clip from ViralHog quickly went viral for obvious reasons. In it, a dog fetches its own towel, hands it to their owner and patiently waits to be dried off.
Sebastian loves the rain
We Rate Dogs is one of the best Twitter accounts you can follow. On this clip, we see Sebastian happy to sit under the rain just as long as he can have a couple of drinks.
This is Sebastian. He knows sky water tastes the best. Not sure why he’s the only one taking advantage of this. 14/10 hydrated as h*ck pic.twitter.com/9arYMDjtuW
This last video is the perfect antidote for stress. In it, a cat chills out to the type of music you’d listen to at a yoga retreat. You’re welcome and happy Wednesday.
Thanks to Halloween, Amazon has developed a new batch of skills your Alexa device can trigger. Here are some of our favorites.
Amazon is constantly providing updates for Alexa, ensuring that customers always have new things to look forward to. And with Halloween upon us, Amazon has given Alexa some cool features that are easy to use and that provide fun results.
Alexa’s Halloween features range from the cute to the kind of scary. Check out 5 of the coolest ones you can use this October 31.
Tell scary stories
Alexa has different levels of scary stories, providing ones that are kid friendly and others that are a little more serious. The first is the easiest one, and can be triggered by saying “Alexa tell me a spooky story.” The story has sound effects and Alexa’s voice is sort of friendly, resulting in something that’s PG. To trigger the scariest version of Alexa, you have to install the Scare Me skill. Once you’ve done this, say “Alexa, ask Scare Me to tell me a scary story,” which is a little clunky but worth it.
Play spooky songs
You can play Halloween music on Alexa through different methods. You can install the Halloween Music trick or you can simply look for a Halloween playlist on Spotify and ask Alexa to play it.
Alexa devices have tons of jokes in their repertoire. These skills don’t even need to be installed. To hear one, just say “Alexa, tell me a Halloween joke.” The devices’ jokes are never too funny, but they’re a cute party trick if you’re into that kind of stuff.
Play with Alexa lightbulbs
If you have smart bulbs and home service like Yonomi, you can tinker with your lights in order to create something really cool and Halloween themed. You can tailor your Alexa to control all of these settings, turning them on or off depending on what you’re doing. You can check out a quick guide on how to do this, here.
Alexa has a bunch of cool games you can play, like Ghost Detector or Haunted Adventure. By asking the device which Halloween games are available, it’ll list different versions and how to trigger them. Once you say the command, you can play the game by responding and listening to the different Alexa cues. This is a cool activity for groups or for playing with kids, providing something stimulating without being too creepy.
Low penalties for thieves and general miseducation between hemp and marijuana has caused farmers serious problems.
Hemp is supposed to be America’s new cash crop. Sales of hemp could reach $24 billion, according to Bloomberg. But farmers betting on hemp have experienced growing pains. First year hemp farmers are struggling to reach profitability, as crops yielding high CBD plants are hard to come by due to shortage of seeds and labor intensive methodologies.
Another problem? Thieves are stealing hemp thinking it’s some high-grade marijuana. It’s worth a reminder that hemp can’t get you high, as the plant contains less than 0.3% of THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. The problem is that inexperienced folks can’t tell the difference between marijuana and hemp, resulting in all the theft.
This a problem hitting farms in multiple states. Just this week, a Washington farmer is losing tens of thousands of dollars to hemp bandits. Matthew Morrell, who owns MM Hay Services, LLC, grows hemp crops to produce CBD oil. That CBD oil is then bought by CVS and Walgreens to place in their medications. In total, KOMO News reports, Morrell says he’s lost $70,000 because of people stealing his hemp.
“We started off with a few plants here and there getting pulled, and it’s gradually just ramped up kind of out of control to where last night (Sunday) we had people that were armed getting out of vehicles to come steal plants,” Morrell told KOMO News.
Morrel’s had to hire security, costly for hemp farmers trying to get off the ground. New York farmer Dale Weed has experienced a similar loss. Weed — which, yes, that’s his real last name — added industrial hemp farming to his company Pure Functional Foods, Inc., which provides various co-packing services for the dry mix industry, once it became legal last year through the 2018 Farm Bill. He too attests to losing tens of thousands from hemp thieves, who believe they’re in “marijuana heaven” when they stumble upon the hemp crops.
Photo by kumarfotographer via Pixabay
“You feel violated that people come here and steal from you when you’re trying to help a new industry get started that can help a lot of people,” Weed told local ABC news network WHAM. “It’s alarming, the fact with no theft in 17 years, and now I’m being robbed every night.”
Weed also shared stories with CBC Radio of fellow New York hemp farms being robbed at gunpoint multiple times. Asked if farmers should tell robbers they’re stealing hemp not marijuana, he responded that when you have someone pointing a gun in your face, “it’s really not a point—at that point—where you do a lot of discussion.”
Many thieves record videos of themselves stealing the hemp crops then upload the videos to Facebook. Finding these robbers isn’t necessarily a problem for police, but it hasn’t deterred the thefts.
“I think it’ll come to an end when it becomes a felony. I believe that the government needs to make it a felony—like [in] Australia. It’s a felony there. It’s one year in prison, and a $15,000 fine,” Weed said. “So, you know, if they’re experiencing something with more bite in the law—right now, it’s just basically trespass. And so it’s hardly of any consequence for people to steal currently.”
The USDA’s release of these rules means that we are finally headed towards full implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) released its interim hemp rules. This is a major step in the full implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill. These rules are not final but they will be effective as soon as they are published in the Federal Register. Stakeholders will have 60 days to submit comments on the interim hemp rules.
Expect to see additional analysis of these rules on this blog in the coming days. For now, we’ve highlighted some of the main points that stuck out to us.
State and Tribal Plans. The 2018 Farm Bill requires states and Indian Tribes to submit hemp cultivation plans to the USDA. The interim hemp rules require that these plans include a practice to collect, maintain and report information on hemp cultivators, the land where hemp is produced, and the status and number of licenses issued. Plans must include a procedure for testing hemp within 15 days of the anticipated harvest. Plans must also ensure that samples are representative of an entire hemp lot and the state or tribal agency charged with testing must have unrestricted access to all land, building, and structures used for the cultivation, handling, and storage of hemp. Hemp producers may not harvest before samples are taken. Hemp that tests above 0.3% THC is deemed a “non-compliant cannabis plant” and a state or Tribal plan must cover the destruction of such material. Non-compliant cannabis plants must also be reported to USDA, along with other information on hemp producers and production generally. States and Tribes must also establish lab standards for testing hemp.
The USDA will review state and Tribal plans within 60 days of receipt. States and Tribes can submit amended plans in the event that the USDA does not approve of the initial submission or if the state or Tribe alters a previously approved plan. The USDA will, from time-to-time, audit state and Tribal plans.
USDA Licensing. If a state or Tribal plan is not approved, would-be hemp producers can grow hemp in that state or Tribal area under a USDA hemp license, so long as “the production of hemp is not otherwise prohibited by the State or Indian Tribe.”
Photo by Nastasic/Getty Images
The USDA will issue hemp producer licenses. Applicants can apply 30 days after the rules are published in the Federal Register. After that, the USDA will accept applications between August 1 and October 31 each year. Applicants must submit their contact information and a criminal history report. Remember that a felony conviction, at either the state or federal level, results in a 10-year ban from participating in the legal hemp industry, unless a person was lawfully growing hemp under the 2014 Farm Bill before December 20, 2018.
USDA license will be valid until December 31st three years after the year the licensed was issued. Licenses cannot be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of. An application is required for each location where hemp is grown. USDA licensees must submit tests within 15 days of harvest to the USDA or to a state agency, federal agency, or a person approved by the USDA to accept tests. Non-compliant plant material must be destroyed. USDA licensees will be subject to inspections and must maintain records relating to hemp.
Total THC Testing. The interim hemp rules also cover THC testing, which was a point of concern in the lead up to theses rules being released. The interim hemp rules state that:
“A State or Tribal plan must include a procedure for testing that is able to accurately identify whether the sample contains a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol content concentration level that exceeds the acceptable hemp THC level. The procedure must include a validated testing methodology that uses postdecarboxylation or other similarly reliable methods. The testing methodology must consider the potential conversion of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-A) in hemp into THC and the test result measures total available THC derived from the sum of the THC and THC-A content. Testing methodologies meeting these requirements include, but are not limited to, gas or liquid chromatography with detection. The total THC concentration level shall be determined and reported on a dry weight basis.”
This appears to require Total THC testing, which includes THC-A, and as has been implemented in Oregon. Laboratories who test hemp will also report their “measurement of uncertainty” or “MU.” The USDA provides additional context on this concept:
“The definition of ‘acceptable hemp THC level’ explains how to interpret test results with the measurement of uncertainty with an example. The application of the measurement of uncertainty to the reported delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol content concentration level on a dry weight basis produces a distribution, or range. If 0.3% or less is within the distribution or range, then the sample will be considered to be hemp for the purpose of compliance with the requirements of State, Tribal, or USDA hemp plans. For example, if a laboratory reports a result as 0.35% with a measurement of uncertainty of +/- 0.06, the distribution or range is 0.29% to 0.41%. Because 0.3% is within that distribution or range, the sample, and the lot it represents, is considered hemp for the purpose of compliance with the requirements of State, Tribal, or USDA hemp plans. However, if the measurement of uncertainty for that sample was 0.02%, the distribution or range is 0.33% to 0.37%. Because 0.3% or less is not within that distribution or range, the sample is not considered hemp for the purpose of plan compliance, and the lot it represents will be subject to disposal. Thus the ‘acceptable hemp THC level’ is the application of the measurement of uncertainty to the reported delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol content concentration level on a dry weight basis producing a distribution or range that includes 0.3% or less. As such, the regulatory definition of ‘acceptable hemp THC level’ describes how State, Tribal, and USDA plans must account for uncertainty in test results in their treatment of cannabis.”
Labs that test cannabis for THC levels must be registered with the DEA. The USDA is considering a fee-for-service that would allow labs to seek approval with the USDA for THC-testing.
Photo by Uriel Sinai/Stringer/Getty Images
Interstate Transport. The interim rules prohibit states or Tribes from “prohibiting the transportation or shipment of hemp or hemp products produced under a State or Tribal plan,” a license issued by the USDA, or “under 7 U.S.C. 5940[.]” What is 7 U.S.C. 5940? It’s the codification of the 2014 Farm Bill’s industrial hemp provisions. That means that states (lookingat youIdaho) can not seize hemp produced under the 2014 Farm Bill, so long as it’s done in compliance with state law or cultivated by an institution of higher education.
Bottom line. We’ve just begun to scratch the surface. These interim hemp rules also outline hemp violations, the appeal process for hemp licensing, and touch on the interplay with the Controlled Substances Act. More than anything else, the USDA’s release of these rules means that we are finally headed towards full implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill. We expect the USDA to be inundated with state and Tribal hemp plans and applications for USDA hemp production licenses over the next few weeks, and then again early next year after many state legislature reconvene. We’ll keep an eye out for developments and suggest you do the same.
A team of Australian scientists found ‘insufficient evidence to provide guidance on the use of cannabinoids for treating mental disorders.’
In recent years, scientists have asked the federal government to remove cannabis as a Controlled Substance so that they can more effectively study its effects. Studying marijuana is notoriously difficult and scientists often receive less than ideal cannabis flower from the government to conduct research. In some cases, the weed is moldy and flowers are ground with stems and seeds, which makes it difficult to conduct precise research.
As marijuana explodes into the mainstream and becomes a preferred medicine to treat certain conditions, we need more research before making definitive claims. A recent study around the efficacy of treating anxiety and depression symptoms with marijuana would agree with that sentiment. In what is being called the most comprehensive review around marijuana and mental health, researchers say the evidence isn’t there.
“There remains insufficient evidence to provide guidance on the use of cannabinoids for treating mental disorders within a regulatory framework,” the study’s authors wrote.
Published in the Lancet Review, a team of Australian scientists collated data from 83 previous studies on medical marijuana’s effects on mental health. They wanted to know how medical cannabinoids affected conditions such as ADHD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, Tourette syndrome, and psychosis. They did find positive results in some cases, such as studies where pharmaceutical CBD-THC reduced symptoms of anxiety and PTSD, and one where patients with psychosis saw some benefits. Overall the literature failed to meet the standard criteria necessary for a drug to be considered safe and effective for widespread use.
Photo by Xavier Sotomayor via Unsplash
“Clinicians and consumers need to be aware of the low quality and quantity of evidence for the effectiveness of medicinal cannabinoids in treating mental health disorders and the potential risk of adverse events,” the authors wrote.
Research where marijuana improved mental health conditions often correlated with using cannabis to treat other diagnoses. For example, patients who were prescribed marijuana to treat multiple sclerosis or chronic pain saw a reduction in those symptoms, which then improved their mental health conditions.
The other complication around medical literature regarding marijuana is that scientists often utilize observational models as a loophole to conduct research. In these cases, they can’t control the quality of cannabis being used by participants. Of the 83 studies the Australian scientists reviewed, only 40 were randomized controlled trials, which is the “gold standard” in drug research testing. In randomized controlled trials, participants don’t know whether they’re receiving the drug or not. Researchers behind the study suggested a placebo effect could be occurring in some anecdotal reports of marijuana improving mental health conditions.
“In light of the results of this comprehensive review and meta-analysis, it would be hard for practitioners to justify recommending the use of cannabinoids for psychiatric conditions at this time,” Dr. Deepak Cyril D’Souza, who serves as a professor of psychiatry at Yale University, noted in a commentary that accompanied the new study.
Experts say it’s likely that the solvents used in vape cartridges, such as propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin, are the culprits.
The term “vape tongue” or “vaper’s tongue” is being thrown around a lot lately. But what is it, exactly? While the condition is nothing new, it’s gaining in popularity as the consumption of cannabis rises, especially among younger users.
Vape tongue a side effect of vaping that causes users to lose flavor sensitivity in their tongues. The good news is that this condition is temporary and that it has a quick and easy solution; once people stop vaping, they regain their taste buds’ functions within a couple of weeks time.
Insider spoke with Dr. Erich Voigt, who said that among the symptoms associated with vaping, like nausea, chronic coughing and trouble breathing, vape tongue is the least discussed. Vape tongue “isn’t something people come into a specialist’s office to fix because it’s a more mild symptom and they deal on their own,” he explains.
While the condition hasn’t been studied, vape tongue is experienced by those who vape cannabis and tobacco, meaning that it’s unrelated to the substance itself. According to experts, it’s likely that the solvents used in vape cartridges, such as propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin, are the culprits. One theory suggests that these liquids can coat the tongue and prevent it from experiencing flavors as it normally does. These solvents could also inflame your nose, affecting your sense of taste even more.
While it might take some years to learn about the short and long term side effects of vaping, it appears that at least your tongue and taste buds are safe.
The cannabis plant has a multitude of uses beyond getting people high, including making textiles, paper, biofuel, and oils for a range of applications, from industrial lubricant to skin moisturizer. However, as the popularity of cannabis-infused products grows, so does confusion over terminology, leading some consumers to purchase something that is made from cannabis, but isn’t what they expected. There is one part of the plant gaining in popularity, what is hemp oil?
One example is hemp oil, which can contain CBD, depending on what part of the cannabis plant is used to produce it. It is made from the stalks, leaves and flowers of the plant contain CBD, a popular cannabinoid gaining popularity as of late, and hemp seed oil, which is cold pressed from cannabis seeds and does not contain any CBD.
Whether it contains CBD or not, still contains a lot of substances thought to be beneficial to the skin, such as fatty acids like omega-6 and omega-3, vitamin E, and linoletic acids. Hemp oil moisturizes skin and is chock full of substances thought to restore and improve skin appearance. Hemp seed oil can also be consumed as food, such as a substitute for olive oil.
Hemp oil containing CBD will have much the same benefits of hemp seed oil but with the added effects that many experience with CBD, notably a reduction in inflammation. The seeds, by nature, do not contain THC or CBD, but other parts of the cannabis plant do contain either substance, or both. CBD’s impact on the skin’s health and appearance is not quite fully understood, but studies are promising, with CBD showing a positive effect on acne and psoriasis.
Consumers should carefully inspect the labels of any products claiming to have hemp products and any product claims. Products with it will not have CBD and may not have any of the properties of a hemp oil containing the popular cannabinoid. You should have some knowledge know about what is hemp oil.
Some women choose to consume cannabis during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, but a few studies indicate that this could cause developmental problems and cognitive deficits.
On a worldwide scale, an estimated 211 million pregnancies occur annually and about 6.2 million of those pregnancies occur in the U.S.. Although many pregnancies are unplanned, there’s a significant number of new births every day. The ages of expecting mothers varies, and numerous soon-to-be mothers are unaware that they’re pregnant for quite some time. Therefore, they may choose to consume drugs including cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes during their first stage of pregnancy.
Although cannabis and various cannabinoids are medically beneficial for consumers, according to recent research findings, these substances could negatively impact a fetus and a newborn. Regardless, some women choose to consume cannabis during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, but a few studies indicate that this could cause developmental problems and cognitive deficits.
Preview of Data on Cannabis Usage During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding by AAP
In August 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced and released their guidelines on the topic of cannabis usage amongst pregnant and breastfeeding women, which are the first guidelines AAP has ever released. These guidelines are in the form of recommendations, which are based on an analysis of the present research regarding cannabis’s impact on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childhood development. Currently, there’s little evidence on the usage of cannabis during pregnancies. Nonetheless, the guidelines/report expresses that refraining from consuming all forms of cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding is the best choice. This is partially due to THC’s ability to cross the body’s placenta.
In addition, this recommendation builds upon additional studies that focused on newborn babies, which found that newborns who were exposed to cannabis in utero experienced different irregularities including unusual sleep patterns as compared to newborns who weren’t exposed to cannabis in utero.
Furthermore, one recent study was published in the Journal Pediatrics around the time of the AAP report, and it focused on breast milk content amongst fifty women who consumed cannabis via smoking, edible ingestion, and other methods. Between 2014-2017, fifty women provided fifty-four samples of breastmilk, which were analyzed by San Diego’s Mommy’s Milk Lab, which is a human milk research biorepository at the University of San Diego. After analyzation, it was discovered that THC was present in 63 percent of the breast milk samples up to six days after the women reported their cannabis usage. It was also found that nine percent of the samples had significant concentrations of cannabidiol.
Then, the researchers attempted to calculate how much THC a newborn would consume from that concentration. Breastfeeding frequency, quantity of ingested milk, and other factors were considered during this calculation. Although AAP’s report and the recent Journal Pediatrics study contain noteworthy information, several questions are left unanswered.
Unanswered Questions & Study Limitations
Researchers only focused on two cannabinoids, THC and CBD, even though there are many other cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. There’s also room for additional research regarding any possible complications that can occur due to cannabis consumption by pregnant and breastfeeding women. Also, most researchers depended on data from mothers who reported using cannabis during and after pregnancy. In general, one of the study’s main limitations is the researchers’ reliance on women remembering their exact cannabis usage, dosage, and/or cannabis exposure and then reporting it.
Additionally, the researchers didn’t test the levels of THC and other cannabinoids that were found in the breastfed newborns themselves. But rather, they relied on their own projections. It’s also unclear regarding the specific levels of THC and CBD found in breast milk samples. Unfortunately, we don’t know why one-third (37 percent) of the samples don’t have measurable levels of cannabinoids. It doesn’t stop here though because we don’t know how cannabinoid metabolites accumulate in a child, how a child metabolizes these substances, the excretion speed, if they accumulate, and the length of time it hypothetically stays in a child.
Photo by Sarah Pflug via Burst
Thus far, potential infant exposure to cannabis via breastfeeding isn’t entirely understood. There’s also limited data on the potential neurobehavioral impact that can occur from infant exposure to cannabis via breastmilk. Overall, the AAP report had various limitations including the fact that not all breast milk samples were directly observed. On top of this, no infant plasma samples were taken, and instead, assumptions were made regarding potential infant THC exposure.
Last but not least, the following statement was made about other information we don’t know: “The extent of oral absorption in breastfeeding infants, metabolism and accumulation patterns, and pharmacologic effects of even low levels of cannabinoids on neurodevelopment in infants are unknown.”
Neurodevelopmental Concerns in Infants Due to Maternal Cannabis Consumption
Moreover, it has been found that cannabinoids, especially THC can interrupt normal axonal growth and development in the developing human brain. How does THC make its way to a fetus and infant though? Well, THC and other cannabinoids can enter a mother’s breast milk supply due to the breasts’ blood vessels that provide access to the glands where milk is produced. This particular access permits chemicals and various medications in the blood to move into the breastmilk. However, this depends on the size of the cannabinoid, the concentration of it in the mother’s bloodstream, and whether the chemical or medication is conjoined to proteins and fats. Overall, THC is extremely soluble in fat, and breast milk has a high fat content as well.
Due to THC’s ability to interrupt normal axonal growth and development in the human brain, we must know the short and long-term developmental effects that can occur in infants exposed to cannabinoids via breast milk. So far, there are concerns about potential neurodevelopmental and behavioral consequences from prenatal exposure to cannabis. However, there’s limited data that reveals THC’s ability to transfer into human milk. There’s also no evidence regarding the safety or harm of cannabis during lactation. Unfortunately, current data is inadequate to assess the impact cannabis has on infants by their mothers during breastfeeding. Therefore, maternal cannabis usage is discouraged during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
However, we know that a child’s brain quickly develops when its main form of nutrition is human breast milk. So, if the child absorbs THC from its mother, this could alter brain development. Various researchers involved in other studies claim that prenatal cannabis exposure could inhibit brain development leading to cognitive and behavioral function deficits. But, the developmental infant deficits that were found in a previous study was during a time when cannabis concentrations were one-third of what they are today. As a result, there’s an essential need for additional research on neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants who are breastfeed by cannabis consuming mothers.
Photo by RitaE via Pixabay
Also, oftentimes, cannabis is grown alongside the usage of herbicides, pesticides, rodenticides, and fertilizers, and many of these are toxic and unhealthy. Thus, if mothers consume that kind of cannabis, their fetus and soon-to-be infant could be exposed to those toxins too.
Recommendations for Future Soon-to-be Mothers
Overall, cannabis is the most commonly reported recreational drug consumed by pregnant and lactating women, and up to thirty-six percent of women reported consuming cannabis at some point during their pregnancy. Whereas, eighteen percent reported consuming cannabis while breastfeeding. Due to the limited data on potential adverse effects on fetuses and newborns from maternal cannabis usage, it’s advised to refrain from consuming the herb.
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advise counseling mothers to avoid all cannabis consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The AAP report also mentions that women should be aware of the lack of definitive research on this particular topic. It’s suggested that all women take time to learn more about the possible adverse effects that THC and other cannabinoids can have on a future child’s development.
To this day, cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I substance by the U.S. DEA. Therefore, there are many blockades that keep researchers away from performing more extensive and detailed research on the link between cannabis usage, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. In the meantime, proper education is essential and questioning recent studies and reports is strongly advised.
