Background: The potential risks of prenatal cannabis use may vary depending on how cannabis is administered, but little is known about modes of prenatal cannabis use. This study characterized prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of modes of prenatal cannabis use in California.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients with pregnancies between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022 in a large healthcare system (3507 pregnancies [3454 individuals]) who self-reported prenatal cannabis use and mode of use (smoke, vape, edibles, dabs, and topicals) during universal screening at entrance to prenatal care.
Objectives: Assessment and counseling are recommended for individuals with prenatal cannabis use. We examined characteristics that predict prenatal substance use assessment and counseling among individuals who screened positive for prenatal cannabis use in prenatal settings.
Methods: Electronic health record data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California's Early Start perinatal substance use screening, assessment, and counseling program was used to identify individuals with ≥1 pregnancies positive for prenatal cannabis use.
Introduction: Cannabis use among adolescents is prevalent, and clinicians who work with adolescents have unique insights about how to treat cannabis use in this population.
Methods: This qualitative study interviewed 32 clinicians from addiction medicine recovery services (AMRS), the emergency department (ED), mental health (MH), and pediatrics in an integrated healthcare system to understand their perspectives and experiences regarding barriers and facilitators to treating adolescent cannabis use. The analysis was developed using thematic analysis of interviews.
Importance: It is unknown whether state recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) is related to increased rates of prenatal cannabis use or whether RCL-related changes vary with cannabis screening methods or the local policy environment.
Objective: To test whether RCL in California was associated with changes in prenatal cannabis use rates, whether changes were evident in both self-report and urine toxicology testing, and whether rates varied by local policies banning vs allowing adult-use retailers post-RCL.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based time-series study used data from pregnancies in Kaiser Permanente Northern California universally screened for cannabis use during early pregnancy by self-report and toxicology testing from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019.
To examine whether local cannabis policies and retail availability are associated with cannabis use and problematic cannabis use (PCU) among adolescents in Northern California. The sample comprised adolescents aged 13 to 17 years screened for past-year cannabis use during well-child visits in 2021. Exposures included local bans on cannabis storefront retailers, policy protectiveness, and retail proximity and density.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis population-based cross-sectional study analyzed electronic health record data of pregnant individuals in an integrated health care delivery system in California to examine changes in prenatal cannabis use through self-report and urine toxicology testing during standard prenatal care between 2012 (n=33,546) and 2022 (n=43,415), and to test whether trends differed by race and ethnicity or age. The prevalence of prenatal cannabis use increased from 5.5% (95% CI, 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To estimate the strength of association between psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders (SUD), and cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) during early pregnancy.
Design: Observational study.
Setting: Kaiser Permanente Northern California, USA.
Importance: Many studies have evaluated whether in utero cannabis exposure is associated with fetal and neonatal outcomes, yet little is known about whether prenatal cannabis use is associated with maternal health outcomes during pregnancy.
Objective: To evaluate whether prenatal cannabis use is associated with maternal health outcomes during pregnancy.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based retrospective cohort study included pregnancies in Northern California from January 2011 to December 2019 that lasted 20 weeks or longer and were screened for prenatal cannabis use.
Background: As more states legalize cannabis, studies are needed to understand the potential impacts of recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) on adolescents from the perspective of clinicians who care for them.
Methods: This qualitative study characterized clinician perspectives on whether cannabis legalization is associated with changes in adolescents' cannabis use beliefs, behaviors, and consequences. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 32 clinicians in a large healthcare organization from 9/6/2022-12/21/2022.
To examine plans for postpartum cannabis use among pregnant individuals who used cannabis during early pregnancy. Eighteen virtual focus groups were conducted from November 17, 2021, to December 17, 2021, with 23 Black and 30 White pregnant adults in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, who self-reported prenatal cannabis use during early pregnancy. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Given significant risks associated with long-term prescription opioid use, there is a need for non-pharmacological interventions for treating chronic pain. Activating patients to manage chronic pain has the potential to improve health outcomes. The ACTIVATE study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-session patient activation intervention in primary care for patients on long-term opioid therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The full spectrum of associations between in utero cannabis exposure and adverse neonatal outcomes is still unclear.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between in utero cannabis exposure and neonatal outcomes.
Study Design: This population-based retrospective cohort study of singleton births among Kaiser Permanente Northern California members (January 1, 2011-July 31, 2020) included parent-infant dyads in which the pregnant parent was screened for cannabis use as part of standard prenatal care, generally upon entrance into care.
Objective: To understand pregnant patients' reasons for prenatal cannabis use and perceptions of safety, desired and undesirable health care experiences, and desired information about prenatal cannabis use and secondarily to understand racial differences in these perceptions and preferences.
Methods: We conducted a qualitative study including 18 semi-structured, race-concordant virtual focus groups with pregnant individuals who self-reported cannabis use at prenatal care entry in a large integrated health care system in Northern California from November 2021 to December 2021. The focus groups included semi-structured questions that were recorded, transcribed, and coded by the research team.
Objective: Rates of prenatal cannabis use are rising, yet little is known about modes of cannabis use during pregnancy. This focus group study with pregnant individuals aimed to examine use patterns and perceptions regarding common modes of prenatal cannabis use.
Method: Kaiser Permanente Northern California pregnant adult patients who identified as White or Black and self-reported cannabis use during pregnancy were recruited to participate (N = 53; 40% Black, 60% White; Mean = 30.
Background: Multiple digital data sources can capture moment-to-moment information to advance a robust understanding of opioid use disorder (OUD) behavior, ultimately creating a digital phenotype for each patient. This information can lead to individualized interventions to improve treatment for OUD.
Objective: The aim is to examine patient engagement with multiple digital phenotyping methods among patients receiving buprenorphine medication for OUD.
Introduction: Quantitative studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increased rates of prenatal cannabis use. However, little is known about how the pandemic has impacted cannabis use from the perspective of pregnant individuals themselves. Our objective was to characterize COVID-19-related changes in cannabis use among pregnant individuals who used cannabis during the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In 2018, California legalized the sale of cannabis for adult nonmedical use. To understand use of cannabis after legalization, we surveyed a stratified random sample of adults in a large health system (ages 19-64 years) with and without documented chronic pain about their reasons for cannabis use from November 2018 to March 2019.
Method: We compared patients with and without chronic pain on measures for medical, nonmedical, pain-related, and mental health-related cannabis use based on self-reported symptoms.
Importance: The social, behavioral, and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with unstable and/or unsafe living situations and intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant individuals.
Objective: To investigate trends in unstable and/or unsafe living situations and IPV among pregnant individuals prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design, Setting, And Participants: A cross-sectional population-based interrupted time-series analysis was conducted among Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who were pregnant and screened for unstable and/or unsafe living situation and IPV as part of standard prenatal care between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020.
Importance: As rates of prenatal cannabis use increase and cannabis legalization spreads across the US, studies are needed to understand the potential impacts of legalization from the perspectives of pregnant individuals who use cannabis.
Objective: To characterize pregnant individuals' perspectives on legalization of cannabis for adult use in California (effective in 2018) in relation to prenatal cannabis use behaviors and beliefs.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This qualitative study was conducted in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large health care system with universal screening for self-reported cannabis use at entrance to prenatal care.
Importance: Prenatal cannabis use is associated with health risks for mothers and their children. Prior research suggests that rates of prenatal cannabis use in Northern California increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is unknown whether increases varied with the local cannabis retail and policy environment.
Objective: To test whether pandemic-related increases in prenatal cannabis use were greater among pregnant individuals with greater retail availability of cannabis around their homes or among those living in jurisdictions that allowed storefront retailers.
Background And Aims: Cannabis use is increasingly common among pregnant individuals and might be a risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to test whether prenatal cannabis use is associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy.
Design: This is a retrospective cohort study.
Introduction: Across the U.S., the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and the rates of opioid overdoses have risen precipitously in recent years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study uses toxicology screening data from a health care delivery system to investigate whether rates of cannabis use increased among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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