Grant: Catalyst Grant: Cannabis Research in Urgent Priority Areas

Cannabis (marijuana) is the most commonly used illicit drug among general and pregnant populations. Despite plausible biological associations, relationships between cannabis exposure and birth and developmental outcomes are uncertain. In 2018, the Government of Canada ends a 95-year prohibition on recreational cannabis use. Canadian data on the association of cannabis use and pregnancy outcomes backs to 1980s. Since then, the potency of cannabis has increased 6- to 7-times and alternative forms of consumption including vaping, lotions, and edibles are increasing. As such classic findings may not be reflective of contemporary potency of cannabis products or use patterns. In this project we propose to: 1) to examine the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a large prospective cohort study and 2) to explore the clinical utility of testing a fetal specimen, i.e., umbilical cord tissue, to detect and quantify in utero cannabis exposure. Our team includes researchers with expertise in pregnancy outcomes, midwifery, maternal mental health, epidemiology, obstetrics, pathology and laboratory medicine, pediatrics and neonatal and child development, and vulnerable perinatal populations and collaborators from the South Community Birth Program, BC Ministry of Health and BC Provincial Toxicology Centre and has the appropriate expertise to execute the proposed project successfully and to facilitate dissemination of findings.