Regular cannabis use is linked to lung and breathing problems, mental health issues (like anxiety, depression and psychosis), poorer memory and thinking, and dependence/addiction.

Key health links

  • Respiratory issues: Regular smoking can cause chronic cough, bronchitis, wheezing, more mucus and higher risk of lung infections.
  • Mental health problems: Daily or near‑daily use is associated with higher risk of anxiety, depression, psychotic episodes (paranoia, delusions, hallucinations) and can worsen schizophrenia.
  • Brain and thinking effects: Long‑term use, especially starting in adolescence, is linked to impaired memory, concentration, learning and lower performance on thinking tasks.
  • Addiction/dependence: A proportion of regular users develop cannabis use disorder, with cravings, withdrawal symptoms and difficulty cutting down despite harms.

Other important risks

  • Heart and circulation: Cannabis can increase heart rate and lower blood pressure, which may be risky for people with heart disease and can raise heart attack risk.
  • Reproductive and pregnancy effects: Regular use may disrupt menstrual cycles, reduce sperm count, and use during pregnancy is linked with attention and learning problems in children.

In most exam or quiz questions, the best answer to “which of the following is linked to regular cannabis use?” will usually be something like:
“Impaired memory and concentration,” “chronic bronchitis,” “psychosis,” or “cannabis use disorder/addiction,” rather than options like “improved lung function” or “better concentration.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.