Fact sheet 10 Cannabis and your mental health Cannabis is the
most common illicit drug used by young Australians.1 But there
are many negative health effects linked to cannabis use,
especially if you start using it when you are under 18 or use it
regularly or over a long period of time. If you have a personal
or family history of mental illness, cannabis use can trigger
problems or make your symptoms worse. Psychological effects of
cannabis Some people experience very unpleasant psychological
effects when they use cannabis, like severe anxiety, paranoia or
panic. Generally, people who start smoking cannabis when they
are teenagers, and smoke heavily, are more likely to experience
negative effects. Heavy or frequent use of cannabis may also
lead to depression in later life, particularly for women. In
some cases, cannabis can also cause confusion, having beliefs
that are not based on reality (delusions) or seeing or hearing
things that are not there (hallucinations). This is called
psychosis. Usually, it only l