More THC.
More impact.
Vaping cannabis can affect your brain, lungs, and mood more than you might think.
QUICK FACTS
Cannabis Vaping
What You’re Really Inhaling
Most vapes contain THC. In high levels THC can impact your memory, focus and mood, and increase the risk of dependence or anxiety, especially when use starts young or happens often.
Ingredients
What’s in a cannabis vape?
Cannabis vapes can contain THC, CBD, flavourings, solvents, and additives. When heated, some of these ingredients can form chemicals that may harm your lungs.
Vaping dried cannabis flower might seem more natural. However, it still produces fine particles and compounds that can irritate or damage your airways.
Cannabis Flower
The dried buds of the cannabis plant.
Contains natural levels of THC, CBD, and terpenes.
Some vapes still use dried herb vaporizers, but most products use processed cannabis oil instead.
Oils & Concentrates
Instead of heating the whole flower, concentrated oils or distillates are made from the plant.
This form, compared to cannabis flower, is much more potent.
THC and CBD (tetrahydrocannabinol & cannabidiol)
THC and CBD come from the cannabis plant. Both affect mood, focus and the body.
THC causes the “high”.
High levels of THC can feel stronger and hit faster.
Chemical Flavours & Terpenes
Some vape products add extra terpenes or artificial flavours to make them taste like candy or dessert.
Despite making vaping more appealing, heating flavoured chemicals and terpenes can release irritants and toxic compounds.
Health Effects
Regular or early use can affect mental health.
Because vape oils and concentrates often contain higher THC, they can cause stronger highs and side effects. Regular or early use can affect your mental health, including increased risks of anxiety, memory issues, or psychosis in some people.
Vaping might also cause coughing, shortness of breath, or lung injury, especially when using unregulated or homemade products.
greater risk of addiction
Can make stress, anxiety, or depression worse
What happens:
Some people use cannabis to chill out. Using it a lot can make stress, anxiety, and depression worse over time. ⁵
Why it matters:
Regular or high-THC use is linked with more frequent low moods and problems coping with stress. Cannabis use doesn’t fix mental health problems and can make symptoms harder to manage. ⁵ ⁶
THC can cause paranoia or hallucinations
What happens:
At high doses, THC can sometimes cause people to see, hear, or feel things that aren’t real, or feel extremely paranoid or anxious. ⁷
Why it matters:
Using high-THC vapes or vaping frequently raises the chance of short-term psychotic reactions and can increase the risk of developing longer-term mental health issues, especially for teens or those with a family history of psychosis. ⁷ ⁸
Affects brain development – especially for youth
What happens:
Your brain keeps developing into your mid-20s. THC affects areas of the brain that control memory, focus, and decision-making. ³
Why it matters:
Vapes deliver THC quickly and in higher doses. Using cannabis regularly during this stage of brain development can make it harder to learn, concentrate, or stay motivated. ³ ⁸
It can harm the lungs and affect the heart
Lungs:
Vaping cannabis can irritate airways and damage lung tissue. Serious lung injuries like E-cigarette or Vaping Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) have been linked to additives such as vitamin E acetate in illegal vape products. ³
Even without those additives, heating oils and flavours create chemicals that can cause coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain. ³ ⁹
Heart:
Cannabis can speed up the heart rate and raise blood pressure. Some research shows an increased short-term risk of heart problems, even in younger users. ³ ¹⁰
THE LAW
In Ontario, it’s illegal to buy, have, or use cannabis if you’re under 19, including vape products or dried flower. Cannabis can only be legally purchased by people 19 years of age or older through licensed retailers or the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS).
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, prohibits vaping or smoking cannabis anywhere where cigarette smoking is banned. Example in schools or within 20 metres of school property.
References
- Health Canada. (2023). Canadian Substance Use Survey (CSUS). Government of Canada.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2023). Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). CAMH.
- Health Canada. (2023). Health effects of cannabis. Government of Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction. (2023). Cannabis. CCSA.
- Health Canada. (2023). Cannabis and mental health. Government of Canada.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (n.d.). Cannabis. CAMH.
- Health Canada. (2023). Does cannabis use increase the risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia? Government of Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction. (2019). Cannabis use and mental health. CCSA.
- Ontario Health. (2020). Vaping: What you need to know. Ontario Health.
- Fraser Health Authority. (n.d.). Cannabis. Fraser Health.