It has occurred to me that since many women suffer from
severe
morning sickness while pregnant, and since cannabis is
perhaps the
most effective anti-nauseant known, using the herb might
allow
pregnant women to better nourish themselves possibly
improving the
health of their children. Yet women in this country often
cease
smoking marijuana when they become pregnant, because they
do
not feel enough is known about what effects the herb may
have on
their child.

Despite the prevalence of marijuana smoking among women of
child-bearing age, few behavioral studies have been
performed to
date on babies whose mothers smoke, and these are
conflicting and
inconclusive in their findings.* Studies have been plagued
by
inconsistencies in measuring techniques and difficulty in
controlling
possible confounding effects of factors that could lead to
differences
in newborn behavior, such as multiple drug use, nutrition,
age and
socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the illegal status of
marijuana
makes self-reporting data suspect.

A March of Dimes sponsored study recently published in the
journal
Pediatrics is remarkable in several ways and emphasizes the
need
for further studies. The researchers were the first to use
seven
supplementary items on the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment
Scale in
a study of the effects of in utero drug exposure, possibly
measuring
for more subtle effects than previous studies. They
conducted their
research in Jamaica, making theirs the first such study
done outside
of the United States and Canada. The researchers noted that
while
in the U.S. and Canada marijuana use is mainly
recreational,
"scientific reports have documented the cultural
integration of
marijuana and its ritual and medicinal as well as
recreational
functions." The mothers studied were mainly the so-called
"Roots
Daughters," a relatively new group described as women with
a
purpose who can "think, reason and smoke like a man."
Self-reliant
and dignified, many of these women smoke on a daily basis
and
continue to do so during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

The study tested 24 Jamaican newborns exposed to marijuana
prenatally and 20 nonexposed babies from socioeconomically
matched mothers. The babies were compared when one day,
three
days and one month old by a Harvard-trained examiner who
was
unaware which babies had mothers who smoked.

The results at one day were thrown out because of
differences in
birth times, and the researchers found no significant
differences on
day three. At one month, the children of marijuana-using
mothers
scored markedly higher on autonomic stability, reflexes,
and general
irritability. Babies born to the heaviest smokers (those
who smoked
every day, at least 21 joints weekly) scored significantly
higher in 10
of the 14 characteristics measured, including quality of
alertness,
robustness, regulatory capacity, and orientation.

Even accounting for factors such as a higher level of
education and
more adults per child in the heavy-marijuana-smoking
mothers'
cases, these results are highly significant. No ill effects
from
marijuana were found, and quite possibly there were
dose-related
positive effects. The researchers recognize the preliminary
nature of
the study, but go so far as to speculate that, "It is
possible ... that the
outcomes at one month are related to neonatal exposure to
marijuana constituents via breast milk.

Nineteen of the 24 Jamaican mothers reported that cannabis
increased their appetites throughout the prenatal period
and/or
relieved the nausea of pregnancy. Fifteen reported using it
to relieve
fatigue and provide rest during pregnancy. It is also
possible that
these positive effects were responsible for their
developmentally
superior babies.

It is significant that these superior children were born in
an
atmosphere of acceptance and reverence for the herb.
Unfortunately, this is seldom the case in this country.

A law is on the books which would allow the Attorney
General of
California to distribute confiscated marijuana to
researchers, and this
step should be taken immediately. We must further demand an
end
to the persecution of our people, so that we and our
children may
flourish in an atmosphere of tolerance, understanding and
peace.