WHY IT MATTERS: Patients starting cannabis therapy should understand that acute effects, including changes in perception, heart rate, and cognition, are time-limited but real, and knowing what to expect helps reduce anxiety and supports safer, more informed use. CLINICAL OVERVIEW: Research from the University of Calgary and Washington State University has added to the growing body of evidence examining how cannabis affects the body acutely, with findings pointing to measurable physiological and psychoactive responses following cannabis use. Understanding acute cannabis effects is clinically relevant because these short-term changes inform how patients should be counseled around timing, setting, and dose when initiating or adjusting therapy.