Cannabis Info from Health Canada
Short term effects
Cannabis can cause drowsiness, slow reaction times, and lower your ability to pay attention. Using cannabis and then driving or operating equipment can result in an accident, serious injuries or death.
Cannabis can impair your thinking, concentration, memory and decision-making, and can impact your ability to perform well on the job or at school.
Though cannabis can cause euphoria (a high) it can also cause anxiety or panic.
In rare cases, cannabis can trigger a psychotic episode (not knowing what is real, experiencing paranoia, having unorganized thoughts and, in some cases, hallucinating).
Long term effects
Cannabis smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
Frequent use of it over a long time increases the risk of cannabis dependence, also called:
addiction, cannabis use disorder, problematic.
It is also associated with an increased risk of developing or worsening disorders related to anxiety and depression.
Using products with higher levels of THC (20% THC [200 mg/g] or more) such as resin, hash oil, wax and distillates further increases the risk of mental health problems over time.
The effects of cannabis on young people's health
Youth and young adults are more likely to experience harms from cannabis because their brains develop until about age 25. The earlier you start consuming cannabis, the more harm it can do.
Starting as a teen, consuming frequently (daily or near daily) and over a long time (several months or years) increases the risk of mental health problems. These problems include dependence and disorders related to anxiety and depression
Frequent use of cannabis over a long time can also harm important aspects of your thinking, like learning and memory. Stopping use can help improve these deficits. However, some of these harms may persist for months or years, or may not be fully reversible.
Lowering your risks when consuming cannabis
There are risks associated with cannabis use. The best way to protect your health is to avoid using cannabis or cannabis products completely.
Cannabis for medical purposes
ome people use cannabis for their health problems. Deciding if cannabis is appropriate to treat your symptoms is best done in discussion with a health care provider.