Culture & Reshaping Of The Endocannabinoid System in Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum

This post aims to bring together two seemingly distant topics: the endocannabinoid system in pregnancy and postpartum, and the foundational importance of the cultural and social environment for mothers and babies. We’ll explore the hard science of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids, and we’ll look to understand why Jamaican mothers who smoke ganja have healthier babies while their Western counterparts using cannabis suffer pregnancy and infant complications. Beyond science, there is culture. Behind birth, there is culture. Can we bring it together and see the bigger picture? 

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. Follow your body, keep track of your response, and consult an herbalist, holistic practitioner, traditional midwife, or anyone else you feel may help you if you need expert advice. 

The Space Between Receptors and Ritual 

What if the key to understanding birth, bonding, and baby health lies not just in hormones and receptors—but in the invisible web of culture that surrounds a mother? 

Recent research on the endocannabinoid system, that mysterious network of molecules shaping our mood, immunity, and even labor contractions, is beginning to intersect with a deeper truth: biology doesn’t unfold in a vacuum. It responds to the social soil we grow in.

In this post, we explore the surprising science of the body’s own cannabinoids during pregnancy and postpartum—and why Jamaican mothers who use ganja often have healthier babies than their Western peers. 

We’ll look at how culture, support systems, and the mother’s environment shape outcomes just as powerfully as molecules do. Can modern science and traditional wisdom meet here, in the space between receptors and ritual? Can we help create such a space? 

I’ll leave you to ponder these questions as we skip from neuroscience to culture, hoping to figure out how mothers can be best supported globally by taking inspiration from both. 

The Endocannabinoid System 101

Your body’s endocannabinoid system is a widespread network involved in brain development, cognition, reproductive health, immunity, and more. It interacts with your hormones, neurotransmitters, inflammation pathways, and even your gut microbiome (Lu & Mackie, 2022; Parizek et al., 2023; Meccariello et al., 2020). 

With its complex network, the endocannabinoid system has been described as a bridge between body and mind (Alger, 2013). 

The endocannabinoid system is made up of your naturally produced, endogenous cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and the enzymes that produce and break down endocannabinoids (Lu & Mackie, 2022; Parizek et al., 2023).

The body has two types of receptors for cannabinoids (Howlett & Abood, 2018)

• Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1): mostly found in the brain and nervous system, but also present on immune cells and in other parts of the body
• Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2): mostly found in organs with immune function, but also present in the brain 

The two key endocannabinoids produced by the body are (Lu & Mackie, 2016):

• Anandamide, meaning “bliss” in Sanskrit 
• 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG)

Both cannabinoids act on both cannabinoid receptors, but anandamide is a much stronger activator of CB1.  

The main enzyme that breaks down and degrades anandamide is FAAH (Lu & Mackie, 2016). 

Cannabinoids stimulate brain plasticity in a unique way. They’re not produced in advance, but on the spot. When brain cells get overstimulated, endocannabinoids help calm them (Basavarajappa et al., 2007).

Endocannabinoids are produced in a “retrograde way”—at the postsynaptic neuron. This is the neuron receiving a stimulus. Endocannabinoids then travel back to the presynaptic neuron, the neuron that sent out a stimulus, and calm its excitability. Usually, neurotransmission works the other way: chemical messengers are released from the presynaptic to the postsynaptic neuron (Basavarajappa et al., 2007). 

By helping calm presynaptic neurons, endocannabinoids help create the “pause” needed for the brain to become plastic—to create new connections, shift, and adapt. Brain plasticity enables learning, recovery from injury, and adaptation to new situations (Basavarajappa et al., 2007). 

Summary

The endocannabinoid system is a natural network in your body that helps regulate the brain, immune system, hormones, and more. It calms overactive brain cells and supports learning, healing, and adapting to change.

Environmental Enrichment Can Rescue the Endocannabinoid System 

What if endocannabinoids are not just the bridge between body and mind, but also between us as individuals and the culture we’re a part of? 

Recent research suggests that our endocannabinoids can respond to changes in our environment, creating a ripple effect in the body and brain. 

According to a study in mice, the endocannabinoid 2-AG can rescue synaptic plasticity and impaired memory in adult rats exposed to high levels of alcohol in adolescence. 2-AG increases in response to an enriched environment. This study was meant to mimic the effects of alcohol binge drinking in teenagers and test whether an enriched environment can mitigate the harm by boosting endocannabinoids (Rico-Barrio et al., 2021).  

Yet another study found that early exposure to environmental enrichment alters the expression of endocannabinoid system genes in mice. Scientists noticed that an enriching environment altered endocannabinoid system activity in a way that may help reduce the response to stress and increase resistance to addiction in later life (Rawas et al., 2011). 

Therefore, the endocannabinoid system may be imprinted by the environment and culture in early life. 

If the endocannabinoid system is tuned by our surroundings, then community, touch, sound, rhythm, and story aren’t just cultural—they’re biochemical.

And if endocannabinoids mirror the world we grow up in, then creating rich, connected, nurturing environments might be one of the most powerful forms of medicine we have.

Summary

Emerging research suggests that the endocannabinoid system not only connects body and mind, but also responds to our environment and culture—shaping brain function, stress response, and even resilience through early life experiences.

How Does Your Endocannabinoid System Change in Pregnancy & Labor?

Your endocannabinoid system gets significantly reshaped in pregnancy. Anything that affects this natural balance may affect pregnancy and labor, and that’s where CBD, cannabis, and culture intersect (Kozakiewicz et al., 2021). But first, biochemistry. 

Progesterone and anandamide are in a reverse relationship—when one is high, the other one is low. Progesterone is thought to boost FAAH, the enzyme that increases anandamide breakdown in the body (Kozakiewicz et al., 2021). 

In early pregnancy, while progesterone is still relatively low, andandamide levels are a bit higher. As the pregnancy develops, progesterone dominates, and anandamide levels drop. 

So, as progesterone increases in the second and third trimesters, anandamide levels decrease and stay low. They slowly and mildly start climbing up in the third trimester (see the yellow line in the graph below) (Kozakiewicz et al., 2021). 

Maternal plasma anandamide levels in pregnancy and labor, taken from Kozakiewicz et al., 2021

Then, as the body gets ready for labor, just prior to the onset of labor, complex hormonal orchestration unfolds. Progesterone doesn’t drop (like it does in some other mammals!), but the body stops responding to it. That’s when anandamide and other endogenous cannabinoids kick in, and they skyrocket in labor. This is thought to contribute to a flood of oxytocin that happens during birth (Kozakiewicz et al., 2021). 

The peak in endocannabinoids right before labor starts is also thought to increase prostaglandins, which are known to be involved in starting labor (in fact, synthetic prostaglandins are sometimes given to induce labor, although they’re linked with various risks).

Endocannabinoids stimulate the CB1 receptor. This activates the FAAH enzyme to produce prostaglandins, helping to ripen the cervix and bring on uterine contractions (Parizek et al., 2023). 

At the peak of labor, our pineal gland might also be producing DMT, contributing to a psychedelic-like, altered state of consciousness. This hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s been suggested by authors such as Strassman (in his book DMT: The Spirit Molecule). 

Strassman proposed that the DMT enables the life force into this life and on to the next life, and so that it’s secreted during birth, near-death experiences, and death. Strassman didn’t talk about labor specifically, but many women (especially those who birth undisturbed) describe labor as trance and psychedelic-like (Olza et al., 2022). 

The synergy of endogenous cannabinoids, oxytocin, and perhaps even DMT may be our body’s way to get us into such a state. 

Summary

During pregnancy, the endocannabinoid system is reshaped by rising progesterone, which lowers anandamide levels until just before labor, when endocannabinoids surge to help trigger birth through oxytocin and prostaglandin release. This biochemical shift may also contribute to the altered, trance-like state some women experience during labor.

Do Higher Anandamide Levels in Pregnancy Increase the Risk of Preterm Birth? 

According to some studies, higher anandamide levels may be linked to preterm birth (Kozakiewicz et al., 2021). More research is needed to assess this, however. 

Yet, some researchers have suggested that cannabis-based products that increase endogenous cannabinoids may also increase the risk of preterm birth. In contrast, cannabinoids have also been suggested to induce or speed up labor. Neither has been confirmed in clinical studies. Most researchers agree that cannabis use itself is not a risk factor for preterm birth (Kebanoff et al., 2022). 

In rats, anandamide and THC increase the duration of pregnancy and the frequency of stillbirths. Based on this, some researchers argue that regular cannabis use might delay the onset of labor and increase stillbirth rates. However, this also hasn’t been confirmed in humans (Dennedy et al., 2004). 

Reports from women who used cannabis during pregnancy and labor are also conflicting. Many women report pain and anxiety relief, especially during labor. However, many women hesitate to bring this up with their care providers due to legal issues or social stigma. 

Summary

Research on cannabis and endocannabinoids in pregnancy is mixed. Some studies suggest they may affect labor timing or outcomes, but findings are inconclusive and human data is limited and confounded by legality and social stigma. 

Culture Lessons from Jamaica

Social and cultural factors may explain why the data on cannabis and marijuana use are so different when outcomes are compared in different cultures—i.e., in Jamaica compared to the US or Canada.

Studies from Jamaica, where Rastafarian women regularly use marijuana throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, haven’t shown increased risks to mothers or babies. On the contrary, babies of mothers who used marijuana had better scores at one month postpartum (Hayes et al., 1988).

In Jamaican culture, ganja has social value for women and is shared as a confirmation of friendship and mutual assistance. The lifestyle of ganja users suggests a lively household with many child caregivers, more infant stimulation and playfulness, and relaxed mothers. They also have better access to clothes, food, and other resources. Many mothers believed they had less nausea and increased appetite from ganja use, which helped them accomplish childcare and household tasks and get more rest (Hayes et al., 1988).. 

The authors conclude that culture and the social environment have to be considered when assessing newborn outcomes. In Jamaican studies, these were the deciding factors—not marijuana use, but how stimulating and rich the mothers’ social environments were (Hayes et al., 1988).

Another Jamaican study came to similar conclusions. The babies of marijuana-using mothers were doing better one month postpartum, probably because they were culturally better positioned and had favorable social and economic characteristics for healthy infant development—i.e., a stable financial situation and a big, supportive extended family (Dreher et al., 1994). 

Yet, when we look at data from the US and Canada, a different picture is painted. Marijuana use is often linked with substance abuse, alcohol and tobacco abuse, nonprescription drug use, social isolation, marginalization, poverty, trauma, mental health challenges, and other socially vulnerable and risk-inducing health factors (Kozak et al., 2022). 

In this Western cultural context, cannabis use during pregnancy has been linked with preterm birth, lower birth weight, and long-term neurological side effects in children (Kozak et al., 2022). 

Summary

Cultural and social environments strongly influence the outcomes of cannabis use during pregnancy, as seen in Jamaican studies where marijuana-using mothers had supportive communities, better resources, and healthier babies. In contrast, in the U.S. and Canada, cannabis use is often tied to social disadvantage and co-occurs with other risk factors, contributing to poorer maternal and infant health outcomes.

How Does Your Endocannabinoid System Change Postpartum & While Breastfeeding?

The reshaping of your endocannabinoid system doesn’t stop with labor. After the flood of bliss-inducing, mind-altering oxytocin and anandamine in labor, your hormonal matrix shifts once again to promote bonding and breastfeeding. 

Human breast milk has detectable levels of specific endocannabinoids that stimulate the suckle reflex in the baby’s brain, promoting breastfeeding (Wood et al., 2013). 

Several studies have looked at the endocannabinoid metabolome—the patterns and levels of your natural cannabinoids and their metabolites—in human breast milk up to 6 months postpartum. These studies reveal that different endocannabinoid metabolites are present in the breast milk regardless of the stage of breastfeeding, but that colostrum may have the highest levels of endocannabinoids (Gaitan Espinoza, Adriana – Doctoral Dissertation). 

It seems that babies need a well-functioning endocannabinoid system to latch, suckle, and—survive. When mouse pups were injected with drugs that block cannabinoid signaling (CB1 antagonists) in the first days after birth, they stopped suckling and passed by day 8 (Fride et al., 2001).

It’s suggested that 2-AG, naturally present in the baby’s body after birth, activates CB1 receptors in the baby’s brain, stimulating suckling. Then, 2-AG from maternal breast milk further activates CB1 to continually stimulate suckling. At least this is what happens in animals, and it’s uncertain whether the same patterns take place in humans (Gaitan Espinoza, Adriana – Doctoral Dissertation). 

One study also found that the intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) like DHA from fish and seafood increases natural endocannabinoids in breast milk. The body can convert DHA into DHG, a type of endocannabinoid (Gaitan Espinoza, Adriana – Doctoral Dissertation). 

Over 15 different types of endocannabinoid metabolites have been discovered in human breast milk. They’re thought to contribute to the “entourage effect”—a concept that’s more often used when talking about CBD oil. In breast milk, the entourage effect explains how these less famous cannabinoids work together to support the baby’s endocannabinoid system, breastfeeding, emotional development, and more (Gaitan Espinoza, Adriana – Doctoral Dissertation). 

Summary

After birth, the endocannabinoid system shifts to support bonding and breastfeeding, with human breast milk containing natural cannabinoids that help trigger the baby’s suckling reflex. Studies suggest that these compounds, including 2-AG and over 15 endocannabinoid metabolites, may work together to support infant feeding and development through an “entourage effect.”

Takeaway: From Mind-Body to Mother-Village

While research is still in its early phases, we are starting to realize that the endocannabinoid system goes through major shifts in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Our natural, internal cannabinoids communicate with our hormones, immune system, and brain to ensure a healthy pregnancy, efficient labor, and successful breastfeeding. 

While certain foods and cannabis-based products may affect the endocannabinoid system, more data is needed to understand how they act. New research should help us understand how to best holistically support the endocannabinoid system in pregnant and postpartum moms. 

Emerging research suggests that the endocannabinoid system is not only shaped by internal biology but also by external factors like environment and culture. Studies in mice show that enriched environments can boost endocannabinoid activity, potentially improving memory, reducing stress responses, and building resilience to addiction later in life.

Research from Jamaica shows us again and again how key a supportive social network and enriched environment are to a baby’s development. Women who are better resourced and culturally positioned have healthier babies, and these happen to be the women who use marijuana in Jamaica. In contrast, studies from developed countries highlight the mental health struggles, addictions, marginalization, and pregnancy complications that women who use cannabis often face.

Beyond the mind-body connection that the endocannabinoid system reminds us of, we need to think about what it can teach us about the mother-village connection in our culture. How can we better center and support mothers in our community?