By Marguerite Arnold


The more accepted cannabis becomes, the more questions we seem to have about how it can fit in with our day-to-day life. Which raises the question, can you use cannabis when breastfeeding? As there’s not a huge amount of research into the relationship between cannabis consumption and breastfeeding, much less pregnancy, giving definitive answers is not currently possible. In examining the research available to us, however, we hope to provide a little more information on the subject.

Can You Smoke Weed While Breastfeeding?

The short answer is no. Data on the effects of weed in breast milk on babies is scarce; however, experts agree that cannabis use while pregnant or breastfeeding is not advisable—just as with alcohol or nicotine.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ official stance on the use of weed by breastfeeding mothers states that the risks are "unknown"[1]. Cannabis can pass to the baby through breast milk, so there will likely be some detrimental effects. It is therefore universally recommended that mothers avoid cannabis products while breastfeeding.

The risk is heightened because the most dominant cannabinoid in cannabis—THC—is fat-soluble. This means that milk of any kind, including breast milk, is an excellent vehicle for THC to bind to. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that THC can remain present in breast milk for up to 6 days—considerably longer than alcohol.

Edibles and Breastfeeding

Chemicals from cannabis in any form (including edibles, oils, or other concentrates) can be passed through breast milk from the mother to her baby, thereby affecting a variety of neurodevelopmental processes in the infant.

When you smoke or vape cannabis, the THC is delivered to your lungs. From there, it passes straight into your bloodstream, crosses the blood–brain barrier, and enters your brain. When cannabis is eaten, it is broken down in the liver and converted into a chemical called 11-hydroxy-THC, which is thought to be up to four times stronger than THC.

This would explain why edibles are anecdotally known for having much stronger, longer-lasting effects. Although it is advisable to refrain from smoking cannabis while breastfeeding, it's even more imperative that you do not indulge in edibles, as any dose of cannabinoids that may pass to the infant could be significantly higher.

Endocannabinoids in Breast Milk

There are two main cannabinoid receptors in our bodies. The CB1 receptor is found predominantly in the central nervous system and brain, whereas the CB2 receptor is found chiefly within the immune system. Each of these receptor types interacts with endogenous cannabinoids (or “endocannabinoids”), which are cannabinoids produced by the body. It just so happens that constituents from the cannabis plant, like THC and CBD, also bind to or interface with these receptors.

Interestingly, several[2] major scientific studies have discovered that human breast milk contains endocannabinoids—specifically the endocannabinoids 2-AG and AEA. These molecules are produced by the body to act as chemical messengers, and are crucial to many aspects of our growth and development. Cell membranes in the body are innately equipped with cannabinoid receptors, to which endocannabinoids bind and trigger a whole host of responses, from immune function to sleep. Specifically, activation of the CB1 receptor by endocannabinoids has even been shown to stimulate the suckling process[3] in mice.

Step 1

How Could Cannabis Affect Breastfeeding?

Given that cannabinoids like THC and CBD are capable of interacting with the same receptors as endocannabinoids, this can potentially affect the endocannabinoid constituents in breast milk. Some animal-based studies suggest[4] that cannabis can even slow down breast milk production.

Neonatal and Childhood Outcomes

Other studies have shown that between 1 and 2.5% of the THC in a joint ends up in breast milk and is passed to the baby[5]. THC binds to protein receptors in the brain, which are integral to brain development. Therefore, research suggests that neonatal exposure to THC may alter brain development in nuanced ways.

Studies[6] have proven that babies exposed to cannabis via breast milk were quickly tired and had insufficient suckling skills compared to babies who had not. Tests also found that babies who ingested THC via breast milk had poorer motor skills at age one.

Breastfeeding also exposes babies to a risk of ingesting cannabis contaminants, such as heavy metals, bacteria, and pesticides.

Opposing Research

There does, however, appear to be some contradictory evidence in existence. A study presented to the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2021 observed 763 prematurely born infants between 2014 and 2020, of whom 17% had mothers with THC in their system when giving birth.

The results indicated that breastfed, preterm babies born to mothers who tested positive for THC were as healthy at the time of discharge as those who were not breastfed. However, more verified research is required before claiming that THC in breast milk poses no threat to an infant.

CBD and Breastfeeding

Women face multiple physical and mental challenges during pregnancy and postpartum. One in five suffers from postpartum depression, and there are various other issues, such as lack of sleep, anxiety, and chronic pain, to consider.

Therefore, it is no surprise that new mothers gravitate to natural supplements or dietary choices to help ease their physical and mental stress. So how does the non-psychotropic cannabinoid CBD, which is used for all manner of reasons, affect breast milk? And most importantly, can you take CBD while breastfeeding? Though CBD has a good safety profile among adult users, it may not be safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding.

While the research currently available focuses on THC, experts are still concerned about the effect any cannabinoid could have on an infant's brain development. With this in mind, the general advice to breastfeeding mothers remains the same as with THC: don't do it.

That said, parents and healthcare professionals need to weigh up the risks on a case-by-case basis.

Can You Smoke Weed if You Aren’t Breastfeeding?

You now know that smoking weed while breastfeeding probably isn’t a good idea. But what about smoking weed after that period is over? Everyone is entitled to do as they please, but if you do choose to smoke weed, do not do so in the direct vicinity of your young child.

A small study[7] was carried out involving 43 children in Colorado, aged 1 month to 2 years, hospitalised for bronchiolitis. Of the children exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke, 16% had traces of THC in their urine.

There is minimal scientific evidence to prove the exact health risks of secondhand cannabis smoke or vapour. However, the research still points toward the possibility of developmental problems. This stands whether the exposure is from breast milk or secondhand smoke.

The idea that cannabis smoke is safer than cigarette smoke is most likely wrong too. Animal studies[8] have shown that weed smoke could be just as harmful as tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke or vapour may put children at increased risk of viral infection, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses. It may even raise their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Whether it’s secondhand smoke or smoking while breastfeeding, more evidence on the health risks of cannabis in developing newborns and young children is needed. For now, the advice remains the same as with alcohol and smoking—if you are breastfeeding (or pregnant), don't do it! All smokers and vapers have a responsibility too. They should take precautions to not smoke around pregnant women or children. In terms of CBD, if you are thinking of using it as a supplement while pregnant or breastfeeding, you should always consult with your doctor first.

External Resources:
  1. The endocannabinoid-CB1 receptor system in pre- and postnatal life - ScienceDirect http://www.sciencedirect.com
  2. Marijuana: prenatal and postnatal exposure in the human. - PubMed - NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Maternal marijuana use during lactation and infant development at one year. - PubMed - NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. ABM Clinical Protocol #21: Guidelines for Breastfeeding and Substance Use or Substance Use Disorder, Revised 2015 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. Surveying Lactation Professionals Regarding Marijuana Use and Breastfeeding. - PubMed - NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: