# Understanding Maternal Cannabis Use and Autism Risk in Pregnancy > **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637) > **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com) > **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-use-pregnancy-autism-risk/ > **Published:** 2026-04-22T23:46:41-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-28T11:55:23-04:00 > **Clinical Summary:** Explore maternal cannabis use pregnancy autism risk and its potential impact on offspring neurodevelopment in this clinical overview. --- #### Clinical Takeaway Clinical Takeaway: A meta-analysis of 13 observational studies found that maternal [cannabis use](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-cardiovascular-health-insights-2024/) during pregnancy was associated with a 30% increased risk of autism spectrum disorder and a 13% increased risk of ADHD in offspring, though the ADHD association was not statistically significant. These findings reflect observational data rather than causal proof, and confounding variables may partially explain the observed associations. ### #17 Maternal Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring. **Citation:** Andrade Chittaranjan. *Maternal Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring.* The Journal of clinical psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 39724097. **Study type:** Journal Article, Meta-Analysis  |  **Topic area:** Autism  |  **CED Score:** 11 Design: 6 Journal: 0 N: 2 Recency: 1 Pop: 3 Human: 1 Risk: -2 **Quality Gate Alerts:** - Preclinical only **Methodological Considerations:** - Retrospective design — selection and information bias risk **Abstract:** Up to 10% of women may use cannabis during pregnancy; this is of concern because constituents of cannabis cross the placental barrier and potentially influence neurodevelopment by acting on [cannabinoid receptors](https://cedclinic.com/citral-cannabinoid-receptor-2-activation-pain-relief/) in the developing fetal brain. In this context, a recent meta analysis of 13 observational studies found that gestational exposure to cannabis was associated with a small increase in the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD; relative risk [RR], 1.30) and with an even smaller increase in the risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; RR, 1.13); the latter finding was probably supported by publication bias. In this meta-analysis, 4 studies provided information on ASD (pooled N = 178,565) and 10 on ADHD (pooled N = 203,783). In a large (n = 222,534) retrospectively ascertained cohort study published after the meta-analysis, [cannabis use disorder](https://cedclinic.com/sex-differences-cannabis-stress-reactivity-oxytocin/) (CUD) recorded before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and during pregnancy plus the year after delivery were associated with closely similar increased risks of ASD (RRs, 3.02-3.21). The risks were smaller in smokers (RRs, 1.74-1.87) than in nonsmokers (RRs, 4.55-4.83) but differed little between male (RRs, 3.01-3.06) and female (RRs, 2.71-2.85) offspring. Although the cohort study had many strengths, its limitations permitted only the conclusion that peri-pregnancy exposure to CUD is associated with a large increase in the risk of ASD in offspring; it remained possible that much of the risk was driven by genetic, environmental, or behavioral variables. The field is nascent; the total number of cannabis exposed pregnancies (with ASD and ADHD as the outcomes) in world literature is small. However, cannabis use during pregnancy is, at the very least, a clear marker for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, besides the adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes identified in other studies. Healthcare providers who manage women who use cannabis during pregnancy need to be aware of these adverse outcomes.  |  [View on PubMed ↗](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39724097/)[DOI ↗](https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.24f15717) [https://cedclinic.com/contact/](https://cedclinic.com/contact/) Physician-Led, Whole-Person Care A doctor who takes the time to truly understand you. Personal care that starts with listening and is guided by experience and ingenuity. 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[Read the Review](https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-exposure-risk-asd-offspring/) [Endocannabinoid System Effects: Cannabis in Pregnancy Study](https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-use-pregnancy-risks-research/) Explore detailed findings on how cannabis affects the [endocannabinoid system](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-fear-extinction/) during pregnancy and potential neurodevelopmental outcomes. [Explore Study](https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-use-pregnancy-risks-research/) [Endocannabinoid System and Prenatal Cannabis: Clinical Research](https://cedclinic.com/prenatal-cannabis-neurodevelopment-risks/) [Clinical research](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-based-therapies-smoking-cessation/) insights into prenatal cannabis exposure and its impact on the endocannabinoid system and offspring development. [View Clinical Research](https://cedclinic.com/prenatal-cannabis-neurodevelopment-risks/) Have thoughts on this? 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