General safety information
This page covers general safety points that apply broadly. It is not medical advice. For anything about your own health, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep everything out of reach of children and pets
Young children and animals can be seriously harmed by swallowing things made from cannabis or containing cannabinoids. Some items can look like ordinary food, sweets or drinks. Store anything of this kind in a secure place, out of sight and out of reach, in its original packaging. Never leave it where a child, a visitor or a pet could find it.
If you think a child or pet has swallowed something, do not wait for symptoms. Call 13 11 26, or 000 if they are seriously unwell. Have the packaging with you when you call, if you can.
Impairment
Cannabinoids can affect alertness, judgement, coordination and reaction time. These effects can make driving, using machinery, working at heights and caring for others unsafe. Alcohol and other drugs can add to the effect. If you are not sure how something affects you, a pharmacist can talk it through. See law and access for the point that driving rules differ across states and territories.
Interactions with other medicines
Medicines can affect each other. Some change how another is processed by the body, and some add to the same effects. This includes over-the-counter products, herbal and complementary products, and alcohol. A pharmacist is well placed to check combinations. Tell them everything you take, and ask before you add or change anything.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and under-18s
If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, speak to a doctor or pharmacist before using any substance. The same applies to young people under 18, whose bodies and brains are still developing. The evidence in these groups is limited, which is a reason for professional advice rather than guesswork.
Mental health
Some people have a personal or family history of mental health conditions, and substances that act on the brain can affect people very differently. If that includes you, talk to your doctor. If someone is distressed, has sudden changes in mood or thinking, or is at risk of harm, contact a doctor or mental health service promptly. If there is immediate danger, call 000.
Unknown contents
Items that are not made under a recognised quality system may not contain what the label says, or may contain other things. That is a reason for caution and a good reason to ask a pharmacist. This guide does not name or compare products.
When to get help urgently
Call 000 if someone is very hard to wake, has trouble breathing, collapses, has a seizure, is severely confused, or has chest pain. Do not wait to see whether it passes.
This guide does not give doses, strengths or instructions for using anything. Questions about starting, changing or stopping a medicine are for your own doctor or pharmacist.