Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand cannabis smoke has many of the same toxic compounds found in tobacco smoke. These chemicals, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), could affect anyone who breathes it in, including pregnant women, babies, and children. While research on secondhand cannabis smoke is still developing, breathing in smoke of any kind is not healthy.

Mixing Marijuana and Alcohol

Using alcohol and marijuana together results in greater impairment than either substance alone. While more research is needed, combining substances is associated with greater risks. When alcohol and cannabis are used together, it enhances the effects of both drugs, and can lead to harmful health consequences. Alcohol may also increase the length of time tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) stays in the body.

Driving While High

Driving when you are impaired or “high” is dangerous and illegal, and you could be charged with Operating Under the Influence (OUI). Cannabis may affect your ability to drive safely by slowing your reaction time, impacting your decision-making, and reducing your ability to attend to more than one thing at a time. The effects can last different lengths of time for different people; your tolerance, metabolism, and the type of product you consume all make a difference.

Just like alcohol, there are open container laws for marijuana. You cannot have an open container of cannabis in the passenger area of your car or anywhere the public has access. For more information, see Know the Laws.

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids are artificially produced products that mimic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids when consumed. Although some pharmaceutical-grade synthetic cannabinoids, such as Marinol, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain medical conditions, unregulated synthetic cannabinoids can be very dangerous.

Unregulated synthetic cannabinoids can consist of many different chemical combinations. They are often referred to as Spice, K2, or – misleadingly – synthetic marijuana or “fake weed.” However they should not be considered cannabis. There have been cases of severe injury and death linked to unregulated synthetic cannabinoids use.