(KMOX) — U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Jerome Adams sounds the alarm about the dangers of marijuana — especially for teens and pregnant women.
"No amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or adolescence is safe," said Adams.
A recent study found marijuana use is up among pregnant women — especially during the first trimester. Experts say it may because more states — now including Illinois — are legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
"We know that it's not safe for developing infants to be exposed to marijuana," said Dr. Jennifer Wessels, a family medicine physician and Vice President of Medical Affairs for SSM Health. "It can have devastating effects on their brain development, their neurological development and can have major effects life-long for those babies."
According to a 2017 study, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among pregnant women, with about 7% reporting they had used it within the past month.
"This ain't your mother's marijuana," Adams said.
The Surgeon General also warned adolescents about using marijuana — saying it can affect brain development, attention, memory, decision-making and motivation well into a young person's 20s.