The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) has issued decisive new clinical guidance declaring there is no safe level of marijuana during pregnancy and recommending universal screening for cannabis use throughout pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum periods.

The authoritative medical organisation’s statement directly challenges the increasingly prevalent misconception that cannabis represents a safe or beneficial option for expectant mothers, citing substantial evidence linking marijuana use to serious maternal and neonatal health risks. 

Clear Medical Consensus on Pregnancy Cannabis Risks:

ACOG’s new clinical consensus addresses a troubling public health trend head-on. The organisation’s statement explains: “Despite the fact that cannabis use in pregnancy has been associated with spontaneous preterm birth, low birth weight, NICU admissions, and postnatal neurocognitive and behavioural dysfunction, there is a misperception in the general public that cannabis is safe for use during pregnancy due to its increasing availability, legalisation, and social acceptability.”

The guidance represents a significant intervention by one of the most respected medical bodies in obstetrics, joining numerous other expert organisations in warning against cannabis use during this critical period.

No Therapeutic Justification for Cannabis Use:

Perhaps most significantly, ACOG explicitly rejects claims that marijuana during pregnancy serves any legitimate medical purpose. The organisation states unequivocally: “There is no medical indication for cannabis use during pregnancy and the postpartum period.”

This position directly contradicts marketing narratives suggesting cannabis can safely address conditions including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic pain, as well as pregnancy-related symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The medical consensus from this non-partisan, highly credentialed field could not be clearer: pregnant cannabis use offers no therapeutic benefit whilst carrying substantial risks. (for complete Research WRD News)

This document addresses three of the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) 2025 consultation questions:

1. Contraindications for medical cannabis – see Appendix A

2. Claims for medical cannabis not supported by rigorous science - See Appendix B

3. Lack of quality assurance in the production of medicinal cannabis - See Appendix C

View Document

Abstract: Cannabis consumption and legalization is increasing globally, raising concerns about its impact on fertility. In humans, we previously demonstrated that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its metabolites reach the ovarian follicle. An extensive body of literature describes THC’s impact on sperm, however no such studies have determined its effects on the oocyte. Herein, we investigate the impact of THC on human female fertility through both a clinical and in vitro analysis. In a case-control study, we show that follicular fluid THC concentration is positively correlated with oocyte maturation and THC-positive patients exhibit significantly lower embryo euploid rates than their matched controls. In vitro, we observe a similar, but non-significant, increased oocyte maturation rate following THC exposure and altered expression of key genes implicated in extracellular matrix remodelling, inflammation, and chromosome segregation. Furthermore, THC induces oocyte chromosome segregation errors and increases abnormal spindle morphology. Finally, this study highlights potential risks associated with cannabis use for female fertility (Research: Cannabis impacts female fertility as evidenced by an in vitro investigation and a case-control study | Nature Communications

Australia's medicines regulator has not investigated the safety of most medicinal cannabis products despite receiving hundreds of "adverse event" reports ranging from coughing to psychosis in the past three years.

The ABC can reveal there were 615 reports made to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) involving unregistered medicinal cannabis products between July 1, 2022 and June 1, 2025.

A TGA spokesperson said it had the power to investigate unapproved cannabis medications when "safety signals" — red flags for possible safety concerns —were identified.

"To date, no such signals for specific unapproved medicinal cannabis products have been identified and no investigations have occurred," the spokesperson said.

There are more than 1,000 different medicinal cannabis products currently available in Australia.

Apart from two products — which are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods — the TGA has not approved or assessed any for quality, safety or efficacy.

While health professionals are required to report adverse events for unregistered products, the TGA generally keeps these reports on an internal database used for "general safety monitoring".

The TGA said when clinicians prescribed an unapproved medicine, they assumed responsibility for the "efficacy and safety of that good".

Psychiatrists say companies prioritising profit over safety

Chair of the Queensland branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Brett Emmerson believed the 615 adverse events reported between July 2022 and June 2023 were the tip of the iceberg.

Last year, Professor Emmerson told the ABC his colleagues had seen a significant increase in people hospitalised with psychosis after being prescribed medicinal cannabis.

"The industry continues to market medicinal cannabis for a wide variety of conditions for which there is no evidence that it works," he said.

"They market it because people take it and that's their business.

"The medicinal cannabis companies are just like the tobacco companies — they want people to use their product, that's how they make their money and their profit."

Professor Emmerson is calling for greater regulatory oversight of medicinal cannabis.

He said companies should be required to prove specific products were safe and effective treatment for conditions before the medication could be prescribed.

"This is not a drug that can be just regarded as a natural product," he said.

"It's a drug of dependence with serious side effects and it's having a tragic impact on a large number of people in this country."

(For complete story ABC News 10th September 2025^thABC News 10th September 2025)

New research from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine reveals that people with cannabis use disorder face more than triple the risk of developing oral cancer within five years. Furthermore, the study analysed electronic health records from over 45,000 patients and found that cannabis linked to oral cancer represents a significant health concern.

Study Findings

Specifically, Dr Raphael Cuomo, associate professor in the Department of Anaesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, led the research examining 949 patients diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. Moreover, the results, published in Preventive Medicine Reports, showed that after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status, people with cannabis use disorder had a 325 per cent higher likelihood of contracting oral cancer within five years.

Additionally, the risk proved even more pronounced among tobacco smokers. Those who smoked tobacco and had cannabis use disorder were 624 per cent more likely to develop oral cancer compared to tobacco smokers without the disorder. (for complete research WRD News)