Poor and pregnant: perinatal ganja use in rural Jamaica

Abstract

This paper reports the ethnographic findings from a study of cannabis use by pregnant women in rural Jamaica. The perceived functions of ganja in reducing the physiological symptoms of pregnancy and associated psychological stress are described in relation to the sociocultural context of pregnancy in low-income rural communities. The data suggest that distinguishing life-style characteristics of cannabis-smoking women may actually mitigate the potentially harmful effects of marihuana.