Page 3 - Cannabis... is it just a drink? DEN + ALDAF 2019
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What are the effects?                            How long does Cannabis stay                         Pregnancy

   Cannabis causes a wide range of effects:                                 in the body?                          The total effects of THC exposure
                                                                                                                  during  pregnancy  are unclear,
                                                                                                                  but  THC during  pregnancy  is
      •  Feeling relaxed and sleepy                          THC is fat soluble: it is absorbed  and  ‘stored’    linked to low birth weight. It is
      •  Spontaneous laughter                                in  the fats  of  the body. This  means it  takes a   safest for a pregnant person not
      •  Increased appetite                                  longer time  to  leave the body than water-          to  use  cannabis until after  the
      •  Dry mouth                                           soluble drugs like alcohol. 1                        baby has stopped breastfeeding.
      •  Quiet reflective mood                               An infrequent user can expect  THC to be             Mental Illness
      •  Trouble concentrating                               removed from the body after about 3 days.            Cannabis does not  cause mental illness, but  using
      •  Slower reflexes                                                                                          cannabis can trigger schizophrenia in people at risk
      •  Bloodshot eyes                                      A frequent user can expect THC to be removed         of developing the mental health condition.  It can
      •  Mild anxiety and paranoia                           from the body after about 10 to 27 days.  2          also trigger  psychosis for  some people. These  risks
                                                                                                                  increases with repeated use .
                                                                                                                                             3
      •  Increased risk taking
                                                             Cannabis can be detected in blood tests for up       People  who  have experienced  psychosis, who  are
   When smoked, these effects start within several minutes   to four weeks, possibly longer.                      diagnosed with schizophrenia, or have a family
   and last about 1 to 3 hours. If eaten, the effects start                                                       history of schizophrenia, should avoid using cannabis.
   between 30 minutes and 2 hours after swallowing, and
   may last several hours longer.                                                                                 The Law

                                                                                  Risks                                         Driving

                                                           Cannabis use is associated with some risks to health:               ‘Stoned’

                                                           Driving and Machinery                                            It is illegal to
                                                                                                                         drive whilst under
                                  How                      Cannabis makes a person’s reflexes slower, and affects              the influence of
                              is it used?                  their ability to concentrate. A person who has smoked                  cannabis.
                                                           cannabis should not drive or operate any heavy
                                                           machinery until after the effects have passed.
                          Cannabis is typically
                   smoked, in a ‘joint’ (a hand-rolled     Tolerance and Dependency
                 cigarette), in a smoking pipe, or in a    Repeated use of cannabis over a period of time can     It  is illegal in  Australia  to  use,  possess, grow,
                 water-pipe known as a ‘bong’.             cause tolerance – meaning the body needs a higher      or  sell cannabis.  The  penalties for  cannabis
                                                           dose of the drug to achieve the same desired effect.   offences  vary from  state to  state.  Check  with
          It can also be heated to a vapor and             Repeated use can also cause dependency, where a        your  local state government  or  community  law
                                                           person has a very strong desire to continue using the
          inhaled, or eaten by mixing the oils or          drug (even if there are negative consequences), and    organisation for   specific information.
                dry plant matter into cookies or           may have difficulty stopping.                          There are exemptions for medicinal use and medicinal
                            other sweets.                                                                         growers through a small number of schemes. These
                                                           A person who has  a  cannabis  dependency may          processes are tightly regulated.
                                                           experience withdrawal effects, such as irritability and
                                                           loss of sleep if they try to stop.                     The Narcotic Drugs Amendment Bill (2016) deals with
                                                                                                                  the national licensing scheme to allow a legal and
                                                                                                                  safe supply of medicinal cannabis.
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