A groundbreaking Australian study has exposed the devastating long-term consequences of cannabis use disorder pregnancy, revealing that children born to mothers who used cannabis whilst pregnant face dramatically elevated rates of anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Alarming Statistics on Maternal Cannabis Impact

The research found that children of mothers with cannabis use disorder during pregnancy are 79% more likely to develop any anxiety disorder and a staggering 146% more likely to specifically suffer from PTSD. These findings, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, draw from a longitudinal data-linkage cohort study that tracked maternal substance use and offspring mental health outcomes.

The study’s lead researchers—Tadesse, Ayano, Dachew, Betts, and Alati—documented how prenatal cannabis exposure creates lasting psychiatric vulnerabilities that persist into childhood and beyond. The magnitude of increased PTSD risk is particularly striking, representing more than double the baseline rate.

Marketing Versus Medical Reality

The findings expose a painful irony at the heart of cannabis marketing to expectant mothers. Products promoted to help women “mellow out” or manage pregnancy stress are instead programming their children for heightened anxiety and trauma-related disorders. This contradiction between marketing claims and medical evidence exemplifies broader patterns in cannabis commercialisation.

The so-called “cannamoms” phenomenon—where cannabis use during pregnancy is normalised or even celebrated—stands in stark contrast to mounting scientific evidence about maternal cannabis effects. What industry advocates position as natural stress relief translates into measurable psychiatric harm for the next generation.

Broader Pattern of Cannabis Contradictions

These results fit within a disturbing pattern where cannabis delivers outcomes opposite to its marketed benefits. A substance promoted as peaceful shows documented links to violent and antisocial behaviour. A “harmless plant” causes cardiac events. A purported mindfulness aid triggers severe mental illness. Now, a supposed anxiety remedy for mothers creates anxiety disorders in their children.

The Australian research on cannabis use disorder pregnancy adds crucial evidence to existing knowledge about prenatal cannabis exposure. Previous studies have already linked maternal cannabis use to preterm birth, low birth weight, NICU admissions, and neurocognitive dysfunction. The new findings on anxiety and PTSD risks extend our understanding of how prenatal cannabis exposure shapes children’s psychological development.

Implications for Maternal Health Guidance

These findings reinforce recent guidance from major medical organisations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which has stated unequivocally that no medical indication exists for cannabis use during pregnancy. The Australian study provides additional evidence supporting universal screening for maternal cannabis use and early intervention to protect foetal and child development.

Healthcare providers now have even stronger grounds to counsel expectant mothers about avoiding cannabis throughout pregnancy. The documented link between cannabis use disorder pregnancy and offspring anxiety disorders—particularly the 146% increase in PTSD risk—represents a clear, quantifiable harm that cannot be dismissed or minimised.

The message for expectant mothers could not be clearer: cannabis marketed as a wellness product or stress reliever carries serious risks not just for pregnancy outcomes, but for children’s long-term mental health. The “cannamoms” trend must end, replaced by evidence-based approaches to maternal wellbeing that don’t sacrifice the next generation’s psychological health.

Source: The Drug Report