Oakland doctor warns against pot recommendations for pregnancy

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Medical cannabis dispensaries in the Bay Area and elsewhere are advising pregnant women to use cannabis to treat morning sickness.

Cannabis and pregnancy don't traditionally go together but according to a new study out of Colorado, 60 percent of 400 dispensaries randomly surveyed recommended cannabis use to treat morning sickness.

"It's very concerning to me," said Dr. Mickye Adams of the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, adding, "We don't know whether it's effective for nausea and vomiting and we don't know whether it's safe."

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Dr. Adams is a high-risk OBGYN in Oakland and does not recommend cannabis during pregnancy because it may adversely affect the fetus but she says more research is needed.

"Hyperemesis gravidarum, which is the medical condition for severe nausea and vomiting, is very serious and can require hospitalization and can be a big deal," Dr. Adams said. "If marijuana is relatively safe and if it is effective than it may be a useful medicine. We don't know. We ought to have done that work by now."

ABC7 News went to three East Bay dispensaries. One did not recommend any type of cannabis for pregnant women, but the other two did recommend cannabis products, specifically CBD oil to treat nausea during pregnancy.

"I wouldn't recommend a budtender to tell a pregnant woman to consume cannabis," said Dale Sky Jones of Oaksterdam University.

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Like Dr. Adams, she believes weighing the risks and benefits of any medical treatment is necessary.

Jones' job is to educate cannabis industry professionals. "Often times, moms find that after trying everything else, the only thing that helps with the vomiting and the nausea is cannabis," she said.

It is important to consult your doctor before starting any medical treatment.

Click here to learn more about the study.

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