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SAFE CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS PRODUCTS: FACTS & YOUR HEALTH

Last updated 1/5/18 and may be updated periodically.

Cannabis is a plant with three sub-varieties known as cannabis sativa, cannabis indica, and cannabis ruderalis. Cannabis can be consumed in many ways such as smoking, edibles, drinks, tinctures, oils or butter.



WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDICAL CANNABIS & ADULT USE CANNABIS?

Medical cannabis is cannabis used to treat the symptoms of serious medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and severe pain. Adult use cannabis is for personal use unrelated to the treatment of medical conditions. The laws for cannabis use in California differ based on the type of use.


SHOULD I DRIVE IF I CONSUME CANNABIS PRODUCTS?

Cannabis use impairs driving skills, putting drivers, passengers, and others at risk for an accident.


WILL SMOKING CANNABIS HAVE A DIFFERENT EFFECT THAN CONSUMING AN EDIBLE PRODUCT?

The effects from smoking cannabis can often be felt right away. The effects from eating or drinking cannabis, however, can take thirty minutes to hours to develop, and then last longer. The effects for both edibles and smoking can depend on how much tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) you consumed, the amount and type of other foods consumed, and if you also drank alcohol or used other drugs.


CANNABIS EDIBLES

are food or drink items made with cannabis or cannabis oils.


START LOW.

When using cannabis edibles, you may want to start with a small serving of the product.


GO SLOW.

You may feel fine for several hours after consuming a cannabis edible, and then suddenly feel very high. Don’t eat or drink more of a cannabis product until you have waited at least 2-4 hours.


DO NOT GIVE CANNABIS TO ANYONE UNDER 21 YEARS OLD WITHOUT A PHYSICIAN RECOMMENDATION.


STORE AWAY SAFELY.

Lock it up and out of reach from children and pets.


AVOID IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING.

Consuming cannabis can harm the health of your baby and is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who plan to become pregnant soon.


1ST TIME USING? BE CAUTIOUS!

Consuming too much cannabis product at once may lead to unwanted physical and/or mental effects:


  • extreme confusion
  • anxiety
  • panic
  • paranoia
  • hallucinations
  • delusions
  • increased blood pressure
  • fast heart rate
  • severe nausea
  • vomiting

If you or someone you know has any of the symptoms above, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222 for free, fast, expert help anytime. If the symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to an emergency room.


For more information, visit www.officeofcannabis.sfgov.org.


Safe Consumption of Cannabis Products: Facts & Your Health - English | Spanish | Chinese | Filipino | Russian | Vietnamese


Cannabis Legalization in San Francisco - Full Report Fall 2017