Use of cannabis on the rise among pregnant Ohioans

By Nadia Ramlagan

Marijuana use is increasing across Ohio and experts said many pregnant women who are using cannabis may not be aware of the risks.

Ohioans spent more than $836 million on non-medical marijuana products in 2025, the first full year of legal non-medical sales.

Alisha Nelson, executive director of the nonprofit OneOhio Recovery Foundation, established to distribute funds from the national opioid settlement toward substance misuse prevention, said the assumption legal products are safe has become prevalent, adding among pregnant Ohioans, many mistakenly think cannabis poses little or no risk.

"We know that there is no safe use of cannabis during pregnancy for the baby and we wanted to make sure that message made it through loud and clear to pregnant moms," Nelson emphasized.

A new awareness campaign supported by $20 million from the state aims to educate populations on the risks of cannabis use. It was designed by OneOhio and the public health nonprofit Truth Initiative.

Amy Taylor, chief development and partnerships officer for Truth Initiative, said decades of advocacy helped increase awareness about the dangers of smoking, vaping and tobacco use but now, many young people have turned to legalized marijuana.

"Although we've seen a reduction in nicotine use, we've seen an increase in the use of cannabis," Taylor reported.

Nelson added the campaign is meant to equip residents with knowledge they can use to make more informed, healthy choices.

"This campaign is really not about shaming a mom. It's about giving moms facts and the details and the research that we do know so that they can make informed decisions on their own," Nelson outlined.

A OneOhio poll released last year found more than 60% of Ohioans believe compared to other drugs, marijuana is a “relatively innocent drug that poses few risks to users.” Among people actively using cannabis, the number jumped to 81%.