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Infants whose mothers smoked cannabis while breastfeeding had volatile organic compounds in their urine, a recent study shows.

The study, conducted at Washington State University and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, is the first to investigate whether infants breastfed by women using cannabis show evidence of exposure to VOCs, which are chemicals that evaporate easily, are found in many products and may have harmful effects on human health.

This is the latest publication on cannabis use during lactation and human milk composition by the research team led by Courtney Meehan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of anthropology.

"When we surveyed women using cannabis during lactation a couple of years ago, we learned that many mothers use cannabis in lieu of other pharmaceutical drugs because they view using cannabis as safer," said Meehan. "But data do not exist regarding the risk, or lack thereof, of cannabis use during lactation. Women are making these decisions without complete information."

Previous studies have shown that some VOCs can harm long-term human health, but despite increases in maternal cannabis use during the perinatal period, little is known about whether infants are exposed to VOCs when their mothers breastfeed them.

"Some VOCs affect human health, so infants should avoid exposure, if possible," said Meehan.

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