Cannabis is a naturally occurring plant which comes in a variety of different forms including cannabis resin or hash, herbal cannabis and cannabis oil. There are also other forms, such as edibles and tinctures, that are common in the medicinal cannabis market.

Risk factors

Cannabis can make some existing mental health symptoms worse and has been linked with the possible development of mental health issues.

The risk factors include an underlying vulnerability to mental health issues such as family history, heavy cannabis use from a young age over a long period of time or use of high potency cannabis.

Long-term use and dependency

People using cannabis every day over a prolonged period may develop a tolerance of the effects. They may need more to get the desired effects or may experience dependency.

Withdrawal effects can be reported where people become dependent. The most commonly reported symptoms are:

• difficulty sleeping
• vivid dreams or nightmares
• low mood
• difficulty concentrating
• irritability
• cravings

Inhaling any substance into your lungs can cause irritation to the delicate tissue. This includes tobacco, cannabis and vaping products.