Weed/ Cannabis/ Marijuana/ Hash/ Ganja/ Dope/ Skunk/ Pot

Cannabis can be smoked, eaten and vaped – and is the UK’s most widely-used illegal drug. How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size, whether you’ve eaten and what other drugs you may have also taken. When smoked, it normally takes a minute or two to feel stoned. This depends on how much you smoke. Generally, the effect is strongest for about 10 minutes to half an hour after smoking cannabis, but if you smoke a lot, you may still feel stoned for a couple of hours. If you eat cannabis, the peak effects can last for 2 to 4 hours, and there may even be a few more hours before the effects wear off completely.

Main side effects include:

• Can make mental health conditions worse or can bring on mental health issues in people with an underlying condition they are not aware of
• Can cause physical changes in the brain, especially in teenagers and young adults as their brains are not yet fully grown, this can lead to schizophrenia or psychosis
• Releases harmful toxins into your body which is damaging to your lungs, throat and heart
• Increase your risk of getting lung cancer
• Can reduce your sperm count or supress your ovulation