Marajuana VS Alcohol.. which is worse?

[[M]umma[M]ia]

Im not going to mention names. Lets just say.. Bob and I were having a discussion about a friend "Joy" who is about 3 months pregnant. Joy smokes weed and drinks. Well this discussion leaded to.. which is worse? and if she could only give up one which one should it be? Me personally... i said alcohol. Bob says Marajuana.

So what do u think? which do u personally think is worse and why? Is there any facts to support your decision?


(Ok now.. i dont want "oh shes such a bad mother and shouldnt be doing any" "she doesnt deserve a baby etc etc etc" If u dont agree with this thread, dont post" Peoples lifestyle choices are their own. BTW she is not doing these things all day every day)

[Tinks]

Do you mean worse for the baby or mother?

For the baby I'd say alcohol.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

for the baby.

[Jas]

Hmm I have no idea to be honest, I would say the pot is worse but I don't have any facts that is just my opinion based on nothing really.

I can understand this maybe uncomfortable for this lady but I would really try to encourage her to talk to her care provider about this. If she is considering giving up one and feels she can't give up both it sounds like she is most likely addicted, obvious both these things could lead to problems for her baby and the more support she has the better. Even if she does continue to use these things at very least her care provider would be aware of this and may be more cautious and pick up a potential problem that otherwise would be missed.

Her careprovider would also be able to help her give these things up and/or point her in the direct of who can and/or any addition services that could help her.

[Catastrophic]

I'm going to have to say Neither... marijuana and alcohol both cause fetal problems and can be really dangerous for the babe. But to answer your question i would have to say Marijuana, for the simple fact that it is an illegal drug.

[Phteven]

Marijuana has lots of variables that might make it worse ie what herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers are used to grow it? Is it spun with tobacco? If so there is the double whammy of cigareettes as well.
That said in low doses there is very little ecidence that marijuana harms the fetus.

[bronners]

From what I have read the risk associated with even a small and regular amount of alcohol (ie fetal alcohol syndrome) being ingested would be much higher than any risks associated with marijuana. Most of the research available on risk using marijuana is similar to that of smoking - low birth weight, prem baby etc.

[Rumpleteaser]

From what I have read the risk associated with even a small and regular amount of alcohol (ie fetal alcohol syndrome) being ingested would be much higher than any risks associated with marijuana. Most of the research available on risk using marijuana is similar to that of smoking - low birth weight, prem baby etc.

I would agree with Bronners. There is alot of evidence supporting that even a small amount of alcohol can cause FAS but very little evidence on the long term effects of marijuana use. I have heard it could cause behavioural problems such as ADHD. I also wonder if it could have other affects on behaviour and moods in later life such as depresion/ shciztophrenia/ additctions etc... some research has shown children of parents who used pot and other drugs through PG have a higher risk of having similar additctions themselves. In addition to ppl prone to mental illness can episodes which have been triggered by drug use, these ppl also use drugs (legal and illegal) at a higher rate than the rest of the population.

[Visitor8]

Alcohol is proven to be worse.
However she shouldn't be doing any.

[tattoo_mama]

couldnt said it better myself GothMum

[briggsy's girl]

i guess it would depend, for me, on the degree of addiction for each of them. if she's a daily smoker but has a drink every few days, then i'd say quit the weed. if she smoked one day a week, but HAD to have a drink every day, i'd say quit the booze. it's a very hard decision. both could have long term impacts on the baby - i think Feotal Alcohol Syndrome is more widely realised, but the impacts or weed are also "out there" and she needs to be made aware of them

[Liz]

hmm.. I'd avoid both... dunno which would be worse! Would hate to think what a combination of both would do.

This is from the NIDA site:

Can marijuana use
during pregnancy harm the baby?

Research has shown that some babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may indicate problems with neurological development. During the preschool years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to perform tasks involving sustained attention and memory more poorly than nonexposed children do. In the school years, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in problem-solving skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive.

And as for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome... that's scary stuff.. I've never really looked up what it was before... but on a quick search...eeek. They can have characteristic facial features and everything!

[Lulu]

HHmm, I would think the booze would be worse, but BG raises a really good point.

Which does she do more?

Or maybe ask her to google Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - if it scared the pants off Liz, it might do the same for Joy...

[diannescruffy]

I've witnessed first hand a baby being born with withdrawals from marjuanna. It just broke my heart, she never asked to come into the world this way.
In my opinion both are bad and both can harm the baby.
Maybe this lady should take a trip to her local hospital and visit Special Care Nursery, I hope there aren't any babies going through withdrawals but if there is I would think it would be enough for her to give up at least one of her uses.

Regards,
Dianne

[suse]

The other thing to consider is that alcohol directly crosses the blood barrier, but goes through the mother's system very quickly. The THC in marijuana, on the other hand, is processed differently - the effect of active THC may only last for hours (like alcohol), but residual THC is stored in the fat cells and takes several months to be fully processed, and it is unknown what the effect of this might be to the foetus. It is suggested that regular pot smokers cut back or quit several months before TTC if they want to ensure that there is no residual THC in their system, although it should be stressed that the effect of this on the foetus (if any) is unknown. It is also why smoking pot whilst breastfeeding is not recommended.

If she doesn't want to, or is unable to quit using pot, then there are some ways to make it potentially less impactful: obtaining bush grown organic pot rather than hydroponically grown (which is significantly higher in THC and may use any number of chemicals in its production, both for pesticides and to enhance the effect), eating pot (eg: in cakes or biscuits) rather than smoking, smoking joints rather than bongs, not using tobacco in the mix: all these things may reduce the potential harmfulness.

[JellyBean]

I believe alcohol would be worse for the baby - particularly as it is consumed in a concentrated liquid form and crosses the placenta almost as soon as it is consumed.
Marijuana is (generally) sucked into the lungs, and whilst the substance still obviously enters the blood stream - I don't believe it would have the same intensity as the alcohol.
Having said that, both are definitely not safe to consume during pregnancy. I respect people's free choice too - but there is an innocent life at stake here. SHE may choose to consume alcohol and marijana - but the life inside her most certainly would never choose that - and she really does have a responsibility to take care of the baby first and foremost.
Perhaps you can print off/mail her/email her some articles on the short and long term effects that alcohol and marijuana consumption during pregnancy can have on the baby. Once these brain cells are lost, they cannot be regained and it will effect the baby for the rest of its life. Perhaps this will encourage her to view her behaviour in a different light. Perhaps you can also remind her that it is really a small sacrifice to avoid these substances for the duration of her pregnancy. Once the baby is born she can consume these substances in moderation without posing the same risk level to the baby. I think the younger you are, the longer 9 months seems. When she is older, she will look back and realise what an insignificant amount of time 9 months really was. I fear that although her lifestyle choices do not bother her now - when her child is grown and the effects of her former life are evident in her child (learning difficulties etc) - she may suffer with regret and remorse. No mother wants to feel this way. A bit of future perspective may go a long way. Having said that - you can't put an old head on young shoulders..... and some people choose to learn the hard way and we have to respect their choices - flawed as they may seem.

[helle]

I'd ditch the pot. If she's not doing it all day every day at least alcohol clears out of the system fairly quickly. Pot is in there for god knows how long.
I hope 'Joy' has a healthy bub, and it doesn't bite her in the butt.

[HotI]

there is a PDF brochure you can dowload on pregnancy and cannabis from the women's alcohol and drug service. (i googled "baby withdrawal marijuana" and it was the first link)

I think you also have to concerns for when the baby is born. If Mum is unable or unwilling to stop drinking and smoking during pregnancy, she most likely will continue after the baby is born. Babies near a carer who is unaffected by drugs or alcohol and sounds like Mum might not be willing to do that. Is there another carer who will be able to step in when Mum is taking her time?