The Stigmatization of Cannabis Is Still Alive and Well in California

Written By Dan Wittmers

Consuming cannabis is so far outside their definition of personal preference that maternity patients are forced to sign a physical document before delivery demanding they “do not trust anyone who is using marijuana to care for [their] child.”

This extremist document was presented to us as an agreement that “just states you won’t bring cannabis in the hospital or use it while you’re on-site.” It should be noted that they did not take the time to discuss with us the effects of drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, or taking opioids while breastfeeding, nor did they present to us any similar documentation regarding those drugs and their potential effects on parenting an infant. Likewise, when they prescribed my wife fentanyl for her discomfort because it wasn’t yet time for an epidural, there was no discussion about its potential effects on the baby still in her womb.