Health effects

of cannabis
There are both potential therapeutic uses for and potential ff disturbances in mood
health risks of using cannabis (marijuana). A chemical called ff psychotic symptoms
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for the way
your brain and body respond to cannabis. While it is used by There is also evidence to suggest that combining tobacco
some for therapeutic purposes, there are short- and long-term with cannabis can increase:
physical and mental health effects that can be harmful.
ff the strength of some psychoactive effects2
ff the risk of poor mental health outcomes, 3
Short-term health effects including dependence

While cannabis may make you feel relaxed and happy, Effects can be felt within seconds to minutes of smoking,
you could experience unpleasant, unwanted or negative vaporizing or dabbing cannabis. These effects can last up
effects on your brain and body. to 6 hours or longer.

If you eat or drink cannabis, these effects can occur within

Effects on the brain 30 minutes to 2 hours and can last up to 12 hours or longer.
The short-term effects of cannabis on the brain can include:
ff confusion Effects on the body
ff sleepiness (fatigue) The short-term effects of cannabis on the body can include:
ff impaired ability to: ff damaged blood vessels caused by the smoke4
ff remember ff decreased blood pressure, which can cause people
ff concentrate to faint or pass out

ff pay attention ff increased heart rate, which can be a danger for people
with heart conditions and can lead to an increased risk
ff anxiety, fear or panic of heart attack5
ff reduced ability to react quickly

Cannabis use can also result in psychotic episodes

characterized by:
ff paranoia
2
Ramo et al. (2015) Tobacco and marijuana use among adolescents and
ff delusions young adults: a systematic review of their co-use. Clinical Psychology
ff hallucinations Review 32: 105–121. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22245559
3
Schauer et al. (2017) Marijuana and tobacco co-administration in blunts,
Emerging evidence suggests that a chemical in cannabis spliffs, and mulled cigarettes: a systematic literature review. Addictive
called cannabidiol (CBD) may help dampen some of the behaviors. 64: 2011–211. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27654966
psychoactive effects of THC1 such as: 4
Wang et al. (2016) One minute of marijuana secondhand smoke
exposure substantially impairs vascular endothelial function.
Journal of the American Heart Association. 5(8).
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=27464788
1
Bhattacharyya et al. (2010) Opposite effects of delta-9- 5
Thomas et al. (2014) Adverse cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and
tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on human brain function peripheral vascular effects of marijuana inhalation: what cardiologists
and psychopathology. Neuropsychopharmacology 35(3): 764–74. need to know. American Journal of Cardiology 113(1): 187–90.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23550724 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24176069
 2 HEALTH EFFECTS OF CANNABIS

Impairment Effects on the brain

The THC in cannabis can impair your ability to drive safely The long-term effects of cannabis on the brain can include
and operate equipment. It can also increase the risk of falls an increased risk of addiction and harm to your:
and other accidents. This is because THC can affect your:
ff memory
ff coordination ff concentration
ff reaction time ff intelligence (IQ)9
ff ability to pay attention ff ability to think and make decisions
ff decision-making abilities
These effects appear to be worse for youth who start
ff ability to judge distances
using early, and who use cannabis frequently and over a
Cannabis use can increase the risk of accidents that lead to long period of time. They may not be fully reversible when
injury or death during higher-speed activities, such as driving, cannabis use stops.
biking or skiing.

Impairment can last for more than 24 hours after cannabis Effects on the body
use,6 well after other effects have faded. Some of the long-term effects of smoking cannabis on
the body are similar to the effects of smoking tobacco
People who use cannabis regularly may have trouble with
and can include risks to lung health, including:
certain skills needed to drive safely7 for weeks after their
last use. ff bronchitis
Combining alcohol with cannabis greatly increases the level ff lung infections
of impairment and the risk of injury or death from accidents. ff chronic (long-term) cough
Combining cannabis with other psychoactive substances, ff increased mucus buildup in the throat
especially ones that have sedative effects, such as opioids
and benzodiazepines, can increase the effects of the drugs.
This could increase the risk of injury or harm, particularly Potential therapeutic uses
with activities like driving. There is some evidence of potential therapeutic uses of
cannabis or its component chemicals (cannabinoids).

Long-term effects Health Canada provides information for health care

professionals and for authorized patients on the use of
Long-term effects develop gradually over time with frequent cannabis and cannabinoids for medical purposes. This includes
use (daily or near-daily) that continues over weeks, months information on dosing, adverse effects, warnings and more.
or years. These effects can last from several days to months
or longer8 after you stop using cannabis.
Risks of illegal cannabis
There may be other health and safety risks associated with
cannabis obtained illegally. For example, the THC potency of
illegal cannabis is often unknown, so you could end up using a
stronger product than expected. This could heighten or prolong
effects such as confusion or anxiety.

The quality and purity of illegal cannabis cannot be guaranteed

and is frequently mixed with or contains:
ff pesticides
6
Leirer, V. O. et al. (1991) Marijuana carry-over effects on aircraft
pilot performance. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 62, 221–227. ff other drugs
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1849400 ff heavy metals
7
Karschner et al. (2016) Extended plasma cannabinoid excretion
in chronic frequent cannabis smokers during sustained abstinence
ff moulds or fungi
and correlation with psychomotor performance. Drug Testing and ff other contaminants
Analysis 8(7): 682–9. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26097154
8,9
Meier et al. (2012) Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological
decline from childhood to midlife. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences USA 109(40): E2657–64.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22927402
 HEALTH EFFECTS OF CANNABIS 3

There is also the serious risk of:

interacting with criminals or criminal organizations
Health effects on pregnancy
and children
ff

ff criminal charge and prosecution

Just like with tobacco, a pregnant woman or new mother’s
use of cannabis can affect her fetus or newborn child
Mental health effects which can lead to health problems.
In some people, cannabis use increases the risk of developing The toxins in cannabis are carried through the mother’s
mental illnesses like psychosis or schizophrenia, especially blood to her fetus during pregnancy and in the breast milk
in those who: following birth.
ff start using cannabis at a young age Heavy cannabis use during pregnancy can lead to lower
ff use cannabis frequently (daily or almost every day) birth weight of the baby. It has also been associated
with longer-term developmental effects in children
ff have a personal or family history of psychosis
and adolescents, such as:
and/or schizophrenia
ff decreases in:
Frequent cannabis use has also been associated with
ff memory function
an increased risk of:
ff the ability to pay attention
ff suicide
ff reasoning and problem-solving skills
ff depression
ff anxiety disorders ff hyperactive behaviour
ff increased risk for future substance use

Health effects on youth

Cannabis use that begins early in adolescence, that is Addiction
frequent and that continues over time has been associated
Contrary to popular belief, people can become addicted to
with increased risk of harms. Some of those harms may
cannabis. Individuals who use cannabis can develop a cannabis
not be fully reversible.10
use disorder, which at its extreme can result in addiction.
Adolescence is a critical time for brain development,
Continued, frequent and heavy cannabis use can cause
as research shows the brain is not fully developed until
physical dependency and addiction.
around age 25.
Research has shown that THC in cannabis causes an increase
Youth are especially vulnerable to the effects of cannabis
in levels of dopamine, the pleasure chemical, in the brain.
on brain development and function. This is because THC
This motivates people to keep using it.
in cannabis affects the same biological system in the
brain that directs brain development. Addiction can develop at any age but youth are especially
vulnerable11 as their brains are still developing.
It is important for parents, teachers, coaches and other
trusted adults to be ready to talk with youth about drugs. Some people are also more prone to becoming addicted
than others. It’s estimated that 1 in 11 (9%) cannabis users
will develop an addiction12 to it. This statistic rises to about 1
in 6 (17%) for people who started using cannabis as a teenager.
If a person smokes cannabis daily, the risk of addiction is
25% to 50%.

11
Chadwick et al. (2013) Cannabis use during adolescent development:
susceptibility to psychiatric illness. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 4: 129.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24133461
10
Volkow et al. (2016) Effects of cannabis use on human behavior, 12
Volkow et al. (2014) Adverse health effects of marijuana use.
including cognition, motivation and psychosis: a review. JAMA Psychiatry New England Journal of Medicine 370(23): 2219–27.
73(3): 292–7. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26842658 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24897085

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2017
Cat.: H129-73/2017E (Print) • H129-73/2017E-PDF | ISBN: 978-0-660-08291-2 (Print) • 978-0-660-08290-5 (PDF) | Pub.: 170012
 4 HEALTH EFFECTS OF CANNABIS

Problematic cannabis use can include some or all of the

following behaviours:
Addiction help
Cannabis addiction can cause serious harm to your health,
ff failing to fulfill major duties at work, school or home
social life, school, work and financial future.
ff giving up important social, occupational or recreational
activities because of cannabis use If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction
to cannabis or other drugs, help is available.
ff consuming it often and in larger amounts or over a longer
period than they intended
ff being unable to cut down on or control cannabis use

People who display most or all of these behaviours over a

12-month period may have cannabis addiction.

Some people can develop a tolerance to the effects of

cannabis. Tolerance is characterized by a need for a larger
dose of a drug to maintain the original effects. Tolerance to
some of the effects of cannabis can develop after a few doses.
In some people, tolerance can eventually lead to physical
dependence and/or addiction.