Closing Research Gaps on Cannabis and Mental Health – Opportunities for Future Research, Practice and Policy

Over the past five years, the MHCC has led a pan-Canadian research program to assess the impact of cannabis legalization and use on the mental health of diverse populations. This document synthesizes ongoing gaps and opportunities that research teams identified. Their findings suggest that decades of cannabis prohibition have left lasting legacies in research and evidence that continue to affect public knowledge and perceptions of cannabis use and mental health—and there is still a lot we do not know.

Key findings:

1. Sustained research is needed, especially with diverse populations and methods.
2. People in Canada want balanced, evidence-based information about cannabis and mental health, including from those with lived and living experience.
3. More clinical guidelines, training, and education for health and social service providers are needed to effectively respond to concerns related to cannabis use and mental health.
4. Further policy action to address systemic inequities is needed.

Interested in the other reports in this series? Find them here!