Dr. Shayna Cunningham, Assistant Professor in Public Health Sciences, Dr. Taeho (Greg) Rhee, Associate Professor in Public Health Sciences (Co-I) and Dr. Rogie Royce Carandang, Postdoctoral Fellow in Public Health Sciences (Project Manager) have been newly awarded a one year HRSA Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs grant 1R42MC53154‐01‐00 titled “Cannabis-Related Treatment Outcomes Among Pregnant Women: A Disparity Analysis Using a Nationally Representative Sample” for $120,000.
Goal(s) and Objectives of the project: Cannabis use among pregnant people in the United States has rapidly increased over the past two decades with implications for fetal, neonatal, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Most cannabis-related research among pregnant women has focused on factors associated with use and treatment admissions. Less is known regarding cannabis-related treatment outcomes in this population. The primary aim of this study is to assess disparities in cannabis-related treatment outcomes for pregnant women admitted to a residential or outpatient treatment facility, including the influence of state-level cannabis laws (medical, recreational, decriminalization), “priority access laws” that prioritize pregnant people over others for available slots in public drug treatment facilities, and punitive laws that deem prenatal drug use to be child maltreatment, require health care providers to report prenatal drug use to child protective services, and/or criminalize prenatal drug use. A secondary aim is to examine the impact the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment outcomes among pregnant women. The study findings will help to inform strategies to address disparities in cannabis-related treatment and will yield insights to enable policymakers, government officials, and health care providers to better prepare for future public health emergencies.