Can you smoke weed while breastfeeding?

It’s not a good idea to smoke weed while you’re breastfeeding. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that gets you high, gets into your bloodstream and your breast milk. While we don’t yet know the long-term effects it might have on your baby, there are good reasons to be cautious.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsOpens a new window (ACOG), and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionOpens a new window (CDC) all recommend that nursing moms abstain from marijuana.

Some experts feel that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of THC, but still caution that it’s best to avoid marijuana while nursing.

“Occasional marijuana use is most likely not a reason to stop breastfeeding completely,” says Kate Shand, an international board-certified lactation consultant and board-certified physician assistant working in outpatient pediatrics.

“Most experts agree that the benefits of breastfeeding probably would outweigh ‘here or there’ THC use. But nothing has been proven either way. Abstaining from THC would always be the first and best option,” says Shand.

Is it safe to smoke weed while breastfeeding?

There isn’t enough evidence to say for sure. So to protect your baby from potential risks, avoid marijuana in all forms while you’re breastfeeding (and during pregnancy). This includes smoking, dabbing, vaping, and consuming edibles.

Don’t assume marijuana is safe because it’s “natural.” Marijuana is a cannabis plant, and it contains many chemical compounds, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Marijuana contains different levels of THC, which is the compound that makes you high. Other cannabis products – such as hemp plants – have very low THC content but still contain CBD. And we don’t know the effects of CBD on breastfeeding babies, either.

There aren’t many solid studies on cannabis use during breastfeeding. Those we do have are small, limited, and conflicting. Researchers also often have difficulty isolating the impact of cannabis while breastfeeding because some of the mothers in studies also used marijuana during pregnancy.

In addition to THC in breast milk, experts are also concerned about:

• Secondhand smoke. Marijuana smoke – which contains many of the same components as tobacco smoke – isn’t safe for a baby or child to inhale. Second-hand smoke increases the risk of asthma and other respiratory problems and middle ear infections. And it doubles the risk of SIDS.
• Contamination. Marijuana products may be contaminated with other drugs, metals, pesticides, bacteria, or fungi that could be dangerous for your baby (and you). Even marijuana from legal dispensaries labeled as approved or certified isn’t necessarily uncontaminated, because dispensaries aren’t tightly regulated.
• Safety of care. A parent who is high may not be able to safely take care of an infant.
• Legalities. Marijuana is legal in some states but illegal federally. In some situations, a mother’s positive marijuana screen may put her at risk for a child welfare investigation.

How does marijuana affect breast milk and your baby?

Again, more research is needed. Here’s some of what we know so far:

THC makes its way into breast milk

The amount of THC in breast milk depends on how much and how often you smoke, as well as the strength of the product. Some other drugs and medications make their way to breast milk in small amounts (usually less than 1 percent of the maternal dose). But because THC binds to proteins and is fat soluble, it collects in fat tissue. As a result, it can accumulate in larger amounts in breast milk, which is high in fat.

One study found the average amount of THC in breast milk equal to about 2.5 percent of the maternal dose. But in heavy and/or chronic users, the THC in breast milk can be much higher. Babies metabolize the THC in marijuana, and they’re much more vulnerable to chemicals and toxins than adults.

THC might affect a baby’s development

Because THC reaches brain tissue, experts are concerned that it may affect a baby’s brain development. According to The Academy of Breastfeeding MedicineOpens a new window (ABM), several studies show that even low to moderate doses during particular periods of a baby’s brain development can have long-lasting negative effects.

In addition to its effect on brain development, there’s also some evidence that cannabis use while breastfeeding is associated with reduced muscular tone, poor sucking, and growth delay and restriction in babies.

An older study showed that babies who were exposed to cannabis in the month after birth had decreased motor development at one year. But the sample size was small, and the mothers may also have smoked during pregnancy, which may have affected the results. Another older study showed no differences in motor or mental development in breastfed infants exposed to cannabis at one year, but the study was very small and doses and durations weren’t controlled. There were no follow ups of either study to look at longer-term consequences.

A more recent, long-term evaluation of preterm babies compared those breastfed human milk containing THC with those fed formula or breast milk with no THC. The researchers found no short-term harm as a result of the THC content. The preterm babies who drank the milk containing THC had no more problems with lung development, breathing, or feeding than babies who drank formula or milk without THC. But the study only looked at babies through the time of their discharge from the hospital.

THC may affect milk production

There’s some evidence that marijuana slows milk production, possibly because it affects oxytocin and prolactin levels. (Oxytocin and prolactin are hormones produced by your pituitary gland. They help with milk letdown and production.)

This is something you might want to be especially wary of while you’re establishing your milk supply.

What if I use medical marijuana?

Even if you use marijuana medically, you’ll want to be cautious while breastfeeding. ACOG discourages doctors from prescribing or suggesting women use marijuana medicinally while breastfeeding. They recommend looking at other treatments that are known to be safe for breastfeeding moms.

How long does weed stay in breast milk?

According to LactMedOpens a new window (a database of information on drugs for breastfeeding women), studies have detected THC in breast milk from six days to more than six weeks after a mother uses marijuana.

Can I pump and dump after I smoke weed?

Pumping and dumping won’t help remove THC from your breast milk. The THC in marijuana can show up in your breast milk in an hour, and low levels of it may still be there for days (or even weeks). One study found that a majority of breast milk samples contained THC six days after a mom used marijuana.

Can I use CBD while breastfeeding?

It’s best to avoid CBD while breastfeeding, because studies haven’t shown that CBD is safe for a nursing baby. The FDA recommends avoiding all cannabis products during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Keep in mind that just because CBD doesn’t produce a high doesn’t mean that it’s safe for your baby. 

Also, CBD products may be contaminated with other ingredients (metals, pesticides, bacteria, fungus) that aren’t safe for you or your baby.