The Effects of Cannabis

The Effects of Cannabis

Short-Term Effects | Long-term Impacts | Cannabis Mental Health | Cannabis Overconsumption and Hyperemesis | Cannabis and Driving | Mixing Cannabis with Medications | Cannabis and Tobacco | Cannabis Quiz

Short Term Effects of Cannabis Use

Cannabis can affect your body and mind in different ways. Its effects depend on the person and how much is used. Some short-term effects of cannabis include: 

  • Feeling happy and relaxed. image-20260421134212-1
  • Feeling anxious or paranoid. image-20260421134219-2
  • Feeling sleepy. image-20260421134243-3
  • Slower reaction times. image-20260421134316-4
  • Forgetfulness. image-20260421134326-5
  • Having trouble paying attention and thinking clearly. image-20260421134404-6
  • Feeling very hungry.image-20260421134415-7
  • Fast heartbeat. image-20260421134440-8
  • Feeling confused. image-20260421134452-9
  • Dry mouth and throat. image-20260421134515-10
  • Difficulty with moving and keeping balance. image-20260421134526-11
  • Seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren't real (psychosis).
  • Having trouble focusing on more than one thing. image-20260421134621-12

Long-term Impacts of Cannabis Use

Using cannabis daily or almost daily increases health risks. This includes:

  • Mental health: Using cannabis, especially with high THC, can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can also increase the risk of mental health issues, like seeing or hearing things that aren’t real. This risk may be higher if someone in your family has had mental health problems. image-20260421135601-13
  • Changes in how your brain works: Using cannabis daily or almost every day, especially before the age of 25, can harm your memory, attention, and learning. image-20260421135641-14
  • Breathing problems: Smoking cannabis can harm your lungs and may cause or worsen coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing.  image-20260421135712-15
  • Lung and heart: Cannabis smoke has harmful chemicals, just like tobacco smoke, which harms your heart and lungs. image-20260421135722-16
  • Addiction: Using a lot of cannabis, or for a long time, can lead to addiction, making it hard to stop. image-20260421135805-17
  • Hyperemesis syndrome: People with this syndrome may have repeated vomiting. Sometimes more than 20 times in one day. 

These problems can be worse if you start using cannabis often when you are young, or if you use it almost every day. It’s important to think about these risks and your health.

Cannabis and Mental Health

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Using cannabis can affect your mental health in different ways.  Some people use cannabis to feel less anxious or sad, but it can make things worse for others. For example, if you already have mental health problems, using cannabis can make them worse or create new ones, like seeing or hearing things that aren't real. 

The more cannabis you use, the higher the chance of serious mental health problems.
 

Using Cannabis to Cope

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Some people use cannabis to try to forget bad experiences, trauma, or stress. If you do this, you are not alone, and there is help available. You can call the Nunavut Quitline at 1-866-3628-7848 or message a Quit Coach on the Live Chat.

Talk to a healthcare provider or mental health professional if you are worried about how it affects you. 

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You can also talk to a trusted friend, family member, or Elder and ask for their support. For anonymous support, call Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Helpline toll-free at 1-800-264-3333.

Help and Support

 

Cannabis Overconsumption and Hyperemesis

Can you overconsume cannabis?

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Using too much cannabis at one time can make you feel very sick. Signs include:

  • Feeling very anxious or scared.
  • Fast heartbeat.
  • Feeling dizzy or sick.
  • Throwing up repeatedly.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Trouble walking or moving properly.

These effects are temporary and happen when there is too much THC in the body.

What to do?

 

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If you or someone else feels sick after using cannabis, stay calm, rest in a safe place, drink water, and don’t use more cannabis. Contact your healthcare provider for help and support.

Avoid Synthetic Cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids, like Spice or K2, are very dangerous. They can cause serious problems like violent behavior, fast heartbeat, suicidal thoughts, intense vomiting, or even death.

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Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)

Using a lot of cannabis for a long time can cause Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS). It is a condition that leads to nausea and repeated vomiting. People with CHS may have:

  • Severe nausea (feeling like throwing up).
  • Repeated vomiting. 
  • Stomach pain.
  • Dehydration (not enough water in the body).

People who use cannabis once a week or more often are more at risk.

If you have CHS once, you may get the same symptoms every time you use cannabis. This means that every time you use cannabis, you would have nausea and vomiting. 

The only way to avoid the risk of CHS is to choose not to use cannabis. 

What to do?

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If you throw up more than five times in a day, or are worried about your symptoms, contact your healthcare provider or go to your Health Center. There are many treatments available to help manage symptoms.

To learn more about CHS, click on the link below.

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Children and Pets

If children or pets accidentally eat cannabis, it can make them very sick.

If your child loses consciousness or has difficulty breathing, call your community’s emergency number or go directly to your Health Centre. Explain that you think the symptoms are or may be from eating cannabis. A quicker diagnosis can prevent serious harm.
To learn more about what signs to look for, click here. 

Remember, keeping everyone safe is the most important thing!

Cannabis and Driving

Driving after using cannabis is illegal and puts everyone at risk. Cannabis can slow you down, make it harder to focus, and affect your memory and movement. Driving while high makes accidents 2 to 3 times more likely. You can hurt yourself, your passengers, other drivers, or people walking close to the road.

If you choose to use cannabis, don’t drive. Ask someone to drive you or find another way home.

Wait 6 hours or more before driving. Wait longer if you eat or drink cannabis edibles. The effects of edibles can last up to 12 hours.

To learn more, click on the link below.

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Mixing Cannabis with Other Substances

Don’t mix cannabis with alcohol or other drugs. Using more than one substance at a time can change how both substances affect you. The effects can be stronger or unpredictable.

Mixing cannabis with other substances can cause harmful effects.

Learn more below.

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Mixing Cannabis with Medications

Mixing cannabis with medications can cause bad side effects or even serious health risks.
If you take any medication, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist and let them know you use cannabis. They can help you adjust your treatment, check for possible interactions, and give you recommendations to reduce the risks.

Cannabis and Tobacco

Cannabis is not a safe substitute for tobacco. Both have harmful chemicals that can cause breathing problems, cancer and other lung and heart problems. Smoking cannabis with tobacco also increases your risk of becoming addicted faster. 

Just like with tobacco, second-hand cannabis smoke can affect people nearby, making them feel mildly high or even causing them to fail a drug test just from being around the smoke. 

Cannabis Quiz! 

Test your knowledge and discover the facts about cannabis. Whether you're a curious visitor or a seasoned enthusiast, this quiz is a fun way to learn more. Dive in and see how much you know!