How cannabis use changes during pregnancy
Official title: Trajectories of Cannabis Use in Pregnancy
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11136878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will follow pregnant people who use cannabis to track how their use changes across pregnancy and identify factors linked to those patterns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $602,594 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA054953-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11136878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people who currently use cannabis or recently used it and who receive prenatal care at participating clinics in Maryland or California are the best fit to join.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, who do not use cannabis, or who cannot attend the participating clinics are unlikely to be helped by this project.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be one of about 1,200 pregnant people recruited at prenatal clinics in Maryland and California. Researchers will collect information over time about how much and when you use cannabis during pregnancy, looking for decreases, continued use, or other patterns. They will also gather medical and social information that might influence those patterns and connect use trajectories to pregnancy outcomes. The goal is to help clinicians better support pregnant people who use cannabis and reduce risks to babies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help clinicians give clearer guidance and targeted support to reduce pregnancy and child health risks from cannabis exposure.
How similar studies have gone: Most prior research has been cross-sectional and binary (use versus abstinence), so long-term trajectory tracking like this is relatively new and fills an evidence gap.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mark, Katrina — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Mark, Katrina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Trajectories of Cannabis Use in Pregnancy
This study follows pregnant people to understand how cannabis use patterns change across pregnancy and how those patterns relate to birth outcomes and child development.
-
Understanding cannabis use patterns during pregnancy
This study is looking at how and why pregnant people might change their cannabis use during the first trimester, so we can better understand the effects on both moms and their babies.
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Hemp-derived CBD for reducing cannabis use in high-THC concentrate users
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial tests whether hemp-derived CBD can help adults who mainly use high-potency cannabis concentrates reduce their cannabis use.
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Understanding how minority stress affects cannabis use in sexual minorities
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Terminal cannabinoid CB1 receptor changes in schizophrenia and cannabis use
This grant studies how cannabis use and schizophrenia together affect a brain receptor (CB1) and what that could mean for memory and symptoms.
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Cannabis policies and prenatal cannabis use: how laws affect moms and babies
This grant studies how changes in recreational cannabis laws influence cannabis use during pregnancy and health outcomes for mothers and children.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.