HealthyNS

MYTH Cannabis is not addictive.

FACT Cannabis is addictive. About 1 out of 10 adults (1 out of 6 teens) who use cannabis regularly will develop Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). Both regular and heavy cannabis use increases your risk of cannabis use disorder.¹

MYTH You cannot overdose on cannabis.

FACT Although you cannot die directly from using only cannabis, you can get cannabis poisoning. Signs of cannabis poisoning include:

• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Paranoia
• Increased heart rate
• Severe nausea and vomiting²

It can take several hours for these effects to go away, depending on how you consumed the cannabis. Always store cannabis, especially edibles, in a safe area to help prevent poisoning in children and pets.

MYTH There are no or low side effects from cannabis use.

FACT Short-term effects can include:

• Dry mouth
• Increased appetite (feeling more hungry)
• Delayed cognitive function (problems with thinking, judgement, and decisions)
• Trouble controlling your body movements

Long-term use can affect your:

• Brain and lungs
• Mental health
• Pregnancy (including harmful effects on the fetus or newborn)
• Ability to exercise
• Ability to drive a vehicle
• Daily life (like problems with relationships, education, and career)^{3, 4}

MYTH It is OK to drive after using cannabis.

FACT It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while impaired by a drug. This includes cannabis.

You can be impaired by cannabis use even if you do not feel affected. The risk of injury and death from driving is 2 to 3 times higher when the driver is impaired by cannabis. There is no safe level of cannabis use when driving. Impairment starts shortly after use and can last for up to 6 hours. Do not drive for at least 6 hours after using cannabis, and do not ride as a passenger in a vehicle with an impaired driver.⁵

MYTH Cannabis smoke is not harmful.

FACT Cannabis smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals as tobacco smoke. Smoke-free environments protect people from the harms of second-hand smoke.

What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a product of the cannabis sativa plant. It is also called marijuana, pot, or weed.

• CBD can affect your mood and may help with anxiety and pain. It does not give you a psychoactive high (i.e., euphoric, relaxed feeling). More research is needed to confirm its possible medical use.⁸
• THC is psychoactive. This is what gives you a high. THC affects a number of areas of the brain, resulting in effects like:
  • impaired coordination
  • slowed reaction time
  • paranoia
  • euphoria (feeling good), and
  • impaired memory⁹

How is cannabis used?

Consuming edibles may be the safest way to use cannabis, because they are not inhaled and do not affect the lungs. It takes longer to feel the effects of consuming edibles than smoking or vaping cannabis, so there is a risk that you may use higher doses than needed while waiting to feel the effects.^{11, 12, 13}

What is medical cannabis use?

There is some evidence that cannabis can help with managing chronic pain; nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) and vomiting (throwing up) as a result of chemotherapy; and spasticity (unusual muscle tightness) associated with multiple sclerosis. But cannabis is not the main or first treatment option for these conditions.^{14, 15}

If you are interested in using cannabis for medical reasons, contact your primary health care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) to discuss.

How will cannabis affect me?

The effects of cannabis are different for each person. Some people may feel relaxed, while others may feel anxious. While cannabis may help with the symptoms of some medical conditions, smoking a lot of cannabis over time can increase your risk of chronic (ongoing) coughing, shortness of breath, and trouble breathing.¹⁶

When you consume THC, you may have:

• Altered (changed) senses (for example, seeing colours as brighter)
• An altered sense of time
• Changes in mood (for example, euphoria, fear, anxiety)
• Trouble controlling your body movements
• Trouble thinking and solving problems
• Memory problems

When you consume high amounts of THC, you may have:

• Hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not real)
• Delusions (believing things that are not real)
• Psychosis (a break from reality or bizarre thinking)¹⁷

What are the risks of cannabis use?

Cannabis is addictive – that is, cannabis can be used to the point that it has negative consequences and the person has developed a lack of control over their use.¹⁸

Cannabis use is linked to mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

Other risks include:

• Cognitive (thinking, judgement, decisions), psychomotor (motion after thought), and memory problems
• Hallucinations and impaired perception (diminished ability to perceive the nature of objects outside the body), like problems with vision and distortion of time and space
• Trouble driving, which may cause injury and death
• Pulmonary (lung) problems, like a chronic cough, more phlegm, and wheezing
• Reproductive problems, like decreased sperm count or inhibited ovulation¹⁹

Regular, heavy cannabis use is linked to a higher risk of social harms (smell, less social connection) and Cannabis Use Disorder – a term used to include a range of problems with cannabis use.

Using cannabis with higher amounts of THC is linked to higher rates of harm, including:

• a higher risk of very bad intoxication (diminished physical and/or mental control as a result of consuming alcohol or drugs, thus affecting behaviour).
• dependency (when the body gets used to the amount of a substance and will experience withdrawal if the dose is lowered or stopped; this is one symptom of Cannabis Use Disorder.
• poisoning (intense adverse effects like rapid heartbeat or nausea/vomiting).

Regular cannabis use in teens is linked to developing psychosis and psychotic illnesses (like schizophrenia). Your risk is higher if people in your family have psychosis.

If you are at risk for psychosis caused by cannabis use, using cannabis at a younger age may cause you to get psychosis sooner.²⁰

How can I lower my risks?

• Wait as long as possible before starting to use cannabis. It is best to wait until you are at least 16 years old.
• Use less cannabis and use it less often (like 1 day a week instead of every day or every weekend).
• Choose products with low levels of THC and/or high levels of CBD.
• Choose safer ways of inhaling cannabis, like vaporizers or e-cigarettes instead of smoking.
  • Do not inhale deeply or hold your breath.
• If you smoke cannabis, do not mix it with tobacco.
• If you use edibles, remember that it will take longer to feel the effects.
• Use cannabis only when it is safe, like with friends you trust.
• Do not drive a vehicle or operate machinery while impaired. Wait at least 6 hours after using cannabis.
• Do not consume alcohol and cannabis together. This can make you more impaired.²¹

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