Short-Term Cannabis Use Can:

• Increase your heart rate and blood pressure
• Make your eyes red/bloodshot, as the blood vessels expand
• Cause you to feel drowsy, slow your reaction times, and decrease your coordination
• Make it harder to focus, concentrate, remember, and make decisions
• Cause dizziness, headaches, and vomiting
• Affect your ability to drive or operate equipment
• Change your mood and judgement

Using Cannabis Often (Daily or Near-Daily) Over a Long Period of Time (Months/Years) Can:

• Cause harm to your lungs if inhaled (smoking or vaping). Cannabis smoke contains many of the same toxins found in tobacco smoke
• Cause chronic bronchitis, wheezing, and phlegm
• Trigger severe nausea and repeated vomiting (called Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome or CHS)
• Reduce your attention span, and ability to learn and make decisions
• Cause memory loss
• Lead to addiction
• Increase your risk of heart attack and stroke
• Increase your risk for testicular cancer, which could lead to low sperm count and infertility

Cannabis & Mental Health

Using cannabis can:

• Increase your risk for mental disorders like schizophrenia, especially if you have a family history
• Worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety
• Increase your risk for thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts

Learn more about the relationship between cannabis and psychosis.

All Forms of Cannabis Have Health Risks

The only way to completely avoid health risks related to cannabis is not to use it.

Cannabis & Your Medications

Cannabis can interact with other medicines you take, which could affect your health. If you choose to use cannabis for medical or non-medical purposes, talk to your health care provider.

Medications that interact with cannabis include: