What does Health Canada say about cannabis use during pregnancy?
CannSell overview
CannSell: Cannabis and its effects
THC and CBD, onset and duration for inhaled and ingested cannabis, short- and long-term effects, overconsumption and poisoning, pregnancy, mixing with alcohol and safe storage.
- No sign-up
- Every answer explained
- Independent · not a government site
- 14 questions
- Topic drill
0/14
Study reference: Ontario cannabis retail law and AGCO guidance (Oct 2026), Ch. 5 Cannabis and its effects — Health Canada Consumer information: Cannabis; Health Canada Health effects of cannabis; CAMH Cannabis
All 14 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
What does Health Canada say about cannabis use during pregnancy?
- THC stays in the mother's body and cannot reach the fetus
- THC reaches the fetus and is linked to lower birth weight
- Cannabis is recommended to ease nausea in early pregnancy
- Only smoked cannabis affects pregnancy; edibles never do
A customer says they took too much and feel very unwell. Which resource does Health Canada list?
- The licensed producer's customer hotline only
- Waiting it out at home and drinking more water
- The AGCO's licensing and registration call centre
- 1-844-POISON-X, 9-1-1 or the nearest hospital
Which cannabinoid is not intoxicating but still has effects on the body?
- THC
- Delta-9
- Resin
- CBD
According to CAMH, how long is it safer to wait before deciding to take another dose of an edible?
- About four hours
- About one hour
- About thirty minutes
- About fifteen minutes
When might the effects of an eaten cannabis edible begin?
- Never, edibles cause no noticeable effects
- From 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating it
- Within a few seconds of the first bite
- Only after 6 to 8 hours have passed
How should cannabis be stored at home, according to Health Canada?
- In a clear jar on the kitchen counter for easy checking
- In the fridge next to regular snacks and drinks at home
- In its child-resistant package, out of children's reach
- Out of its package, so the product stays fresh longer
What happens when cannabis and alcohol are used together?
- Each intensifies the other's effects and impairment
- The effects of cannabis start more slowly
- Nothing changes compared with either alone
- The alcohol cancels out the effects of THC
How quickly can the effects of smoked or vaped cannabis begin?
- After about 4 hours
- Only the next day
- Within seconds to minutes
- After 30 minutes to 2 hours
How long can THC be detected in drug tests after use?
- Sometimes for a month or more
- For no more than three days
- For no more than two hours
- For exactly 24 hours
Which is a common immediate effect of cannabis listed by Health Canada?
- Red eyes and dry mouth
- Improved balance and faster reactions
- Slower heart rate and better focus
- Lower appetite and sharper memory
Why do edibles carry a higher risk of overconsumption?
- Delayed onset can lead people to take more
- Edibles always contain more THC than dried flower
- Edibles are absorbed through the lungs very quickly
- Edibles have no labels that show the THC content
What effect can cannabis have on heart rate and blood pressure?
- Neither heart rate nor blood pressure changes
- Heart rate falls and blood pressure rises
- Heart rate rises and blood pressure can drop
- Both heart rate and blood pressure rise sharply
Which condition causes repeated severe nausea and vomiting in some long-term cannabis users?
- Delayed edible onset syndrome
- Cannabis withdrawal tremor syndrome
- Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Terpene sensitivity disorder
Why is cannabis from an illegal source riskier?
- It always contains less THC than legal cannabis does
- It does not have to meet health and safety standards
- It is tested more often by Health Canada inspectors
- It comes with clearer dosing labels than legal products
Cannabis and its effects: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Consumer information: Cannabis (2025)
- THC causes the intoxicating and impairing effects and can be addictive; CBD is not intoxicating or addictive but still has effects.
- Ingesting (eating, drinking, under the tongue): effects may begin in 30 minutes to 2 hours and last about 4 to 8 hours.
- Inhaling (smoking, vaping): effects may begin within seconds to minutes and last about 2 to 4 hours.
- Some lingering effects of either method can last 12 to 24 hours.
- Delayed onset of ingested cannabis can lead people to take more, causing overconsumption and cannabis poisoning (panic or anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations).
- Smoke contains toxic chemicals that raise the risk of heart and lung disease; vapour may also carry risks.
- Topicals applied to the skin could cause skin irritation.
- Immediate effects can include euphoria, dizziness or feeling faint, faster heart rate, changes in thinking, anxiety, panic, paranoia, increased appetite, impaired memory and attention, dry mouth, red eyes and drowsiness.
- Serious effects: psychotic symptoms with extreme confusion, severe anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.
- If someone overconsumes and feels unwell: call 1-844-POISON-X, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital.
- Edibles can poison children; store all cannabis out of sight and reach of children and pets, in its original child-resistant packaging.
- Cannabis can interact with other drugs; avoid combining it with alcohol or other intoxicating substances.
Health effects of cannabis
- Short-term effects on the brain: confusion, sleepiness, impaired ability to remember, concentrate, pay attention and react quickly; anxiety, fear or panic.
- Short-term effects on the body: lower blood pressure (can cause fainting) and faster heart rate (risk for people with heart conditions).
- Long-term daily or near-daily use can harm memory, concentration, IQ and decision-making, and raises the risk of addiction; effects are worse when use starts in adolescence.
- Long-term smoking risks are similar to tobacco: bronchitis, lung infections, chronic cough, mucus.
- During pregnancy, THC passes to the fetus through the blood and into breast milk after birth; use in pregnancy is linked to lower birth weight.
Cannabis (Do You Know…)
- The cannabis plant contains over 540 chemicals; the two main cannabinoids are THC and CBD.
- Effects depend on THC potency, amount, frequency and length of use, method of use, mood and setting, age, health conditions and whether alcohol or other drugs are also used.
- First-time users should start with a small amount because they do not know how they will react.
- Edibles can take up to two hours to show effects; it is safer to wait about four hours before deciding on another dose.
- THC is stored in fat cells and can be detected in drug tests for a month or more; a person can still be affected after they no longer feel high.
- Cannabis and alcohol together intensify each other's effects (poor memory, judgment and coordination, nausea, vomiting).
- Illegal cannabis does not have to meet health and safety standards and may be contaminated with other drugs, pesticides or toxic fungi.
- Cannabis use disorder: inability to stop despite problems; risk much higher if use begins before age 18.
- Withdrawal after heavy long-term use: irritability, anxiety, upset stomach, loss of appetite, mood swings, sweating, poor sleep; peaks in the first days and lasts 1 to 2 weeks.
- Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: rare; repeated severe nausea and vomiting in long-term users; cured only by stopping.
- Large THC doses, especially from edibles, can cause toxic psychosis (hallucinations, paranoia, confusion, memory loss).
Other topics
- Training and certificationWho must complete AGCO Board-approved cannabis retail training before the first shift, the two approved programs, the 80% final-exam standard, background checks and training records.
- Licences, managers and store locationsRetail operator licence, store authorization and retail manager licence, what managers do, age 19 for applicants, the five-store limit, the 150-metre school rule, public notice and municipal opt-outs.
- Legal age and checking IDAge 19 in Ontario, ID checks at the door for anyone who appears under 25, the good-faith ID defence, fake ID, proxy purchases, no staff under 19 and youth offences.
- Products, sources and purchase limitsBuying only from the OCS, what else a store may sell, the 30-gram limit per visit or order, federal equivalency amounts, THC limits for edibles and extracts and packaging rules.
- Lower-risk use guidelinesCanada's Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines: delaying use, lower-THC products, avoiding synthetics and smoking, occasional use, six hours before driving and who should not use, plus the store's duty to share responsible-use information.
- Intoxication and refusing a saleThe ban on selling to anyone who is or appears intoxicated, signs of cannabis impairment, overconsumption, proxy buying, compliance records and police powers on premises.
- Running the storeHours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the cannabis retail seal, posting the authorization, enclosed retail space, surveillance, secure storage, sensory displays and the ban on self-service and vending machines.
- Delivery, curbside and online salesWho may deliver, delivery hours of 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., residences and private places only, ID at the door, returning undelivered orders, curbside pick-up rules and First Nations delivery restrictions.
- Advertising, promotion and inducementsWhat store advertising may not do, federal promotion limits, no free product or contests to drive sales, and the rules on inducements from licensed producers.
- Records, inventory and destructionThree-year records, monthly inventory counts, certified point-of-sale systems, destroying unsellable cannabis on camera, recalls, inter-store transfers and preventing diversion.
- Inspections, offences and penaltiesAGCO inspections and inspectors' powers, whistle-blower protection, fines under the Cannabis Licence Act and Cannabis Control Act, monetary penalties and Licence Appeal Tribunal hearings.
- Where to use it, transport and drivingWhere adults may and may not smoke or vape cannabis in Ontario, possession and home-growing limits, carrying cannabis in vehicles and boats, and impaired-driving consequences.