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Background/Objectives: Pregnant women have limited information on the impact of prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) alone. Our aim was to determine if PCE, without alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug use, is associated with altered birth outcome measures in obstetrically low-risk women. Methods: In this observational cohort study, pregnant women were recruited between 2019 and 2022 from communities in Washington and Oregon, USA, and enrolled following their first trimester. PCE eligibility required a minimum of three days/week of cannabis use during the first trimester with no required minimum use thereafter. For all participants, illicit drug, nicotine, or alcohol use was exclusionary throughout pregnancy and monitored via urine toxicology at multiple time points. Cannabis use was quantified into delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) mg/day using product weight and potency. Outcome measures included gestational age, weight, length, head circumference, and Apgar scores. Results: Study participants included 37 people in the PCE cohort and 35 controls. Average cannabis use for the PCE cohort was 198.0 mg of THC (SD = 221.2 mg)/day and 3.5 mg of CBD (SD = 4.3)/day. PCE newborns weighed less (38th vs. 52nd percentile, p = 0.04) and were shorter (40th vs. 55th percentile, p = 0.03) for their gestational age than controls. Female PCE newborns had smaller head circumference for gestational age (28th percentile; SD = 23), compared to male PCE newborns (55th percentile; SD = 32; p = 0.02). Conclusions: PCE is associated with reduced birth weight and shorter length for gestational age. The effect of PCE on brain growth may be sexually dimorphic. Future PCE studies should include sex as a biological variable and longitudinally evaluate long-term developmental and physiological outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is currently no format-independent method to determine delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in milligrams for self-report studies. Objectives: Validate self-report method for quantifying mg THC from commercially available cannabis products using product labeling, which includes both net weight and product potency. Methods: 53 adult cannabis users (24 M, 29F), 21–39 years of age (M = 28.38, SD = 4.15), were instructed to report daily use via a weekly survey for two consecutive weeks, provide product label photographs, abstain from use for 24 h, submit a urine sample and complete the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test – Revised (CUDIT-R) and the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire – Short Form (MCQ-SF). Milligrams of THC were determined by multiplying quantity of product used by its THC concentration. Urine was analyzed for the urine metabolite 11-nor-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH) via liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy. THC and THC-COOH values were log10 transformed prior to correlational analyses. Results: Median daily THC consumption was 102.53 mg (M = 203.68, SD = 268.13). Thirty-three (62%) of the 53 participants reported using two or more formats over the 2-week period. There was a significant positive correlation between log10 THC-COOH and log10 THC mg (r(41) =.59, p <.001), log10 THC mg and MCQ-SF score (r(41) =.59, p <.001), and log10 THC mg dose and CUDIT-R score, (r(41) =.39, p =.010). Conclusion: Our label-based methodology provides consumption information across all modalities of cannabis use in standard units that can be combined across products for calculation of dose. It is a viable and valid method for quantifying mg of THC consumed and can be utilized in any region where cannabis is legal, and labeling is regulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]