Winter Webinar Series: Experiences in Cannabis and Mental Health

This three-part webinar series, co-hosted by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, focuses on emerging research about the impact of legalization for a range of priority populations across Canada, including Indigenous, older adults, 2SLGBTQ+, youth, and others.

MHCC funding for the series to explore the relationship between cannabis and mental health was provided by Health Canada in 2018. In the three featured webinars, originally presented in February 2022, researchers from across Canada share their findings and showcase their project journeys, which included overcoming pandemic-related obstacles to conducting research.

Webinar 1: Indigenous-Led Research: Experiences of Cannabis and Mental Health

Explores First Nations and Métis mental health and wellness following cannabis legalization, through Indigenous-led research rooted in cultural knowledge and research practices.

• Examining the Relationship between Cannabis and Mental Wellness in First Nations: A Community-based Research Process by Alana Roscoe and Magnolia Perron (First Nations Information Governance Centre)
• Unpacking Cannabis Use and Mental Health in Métis in Manitoba by Julianne Sanguins (Manitoba Métis Federation)
• Addressing the Stigma of Parental Cannabis Use in First Nations Communities Through Community Engagement and Policy Review by Kristy Kowatch and Sacha Bragg (Thunderbird Partnership Foundation)
• Cannabis Use Among First Nations Peoples of Turtle Island: Motives for Use, Substitution and Impacts of Legalization by Drs. Lindsay Farrell and Zach Walsh (University of British Columbia)

Webinar 2: Priority Populations: Experiences of Cannabis and Mental Health

Explores the experiences of cannabis use and mental health for older adults, 2SLGBTQ+ people living with mental illness in Quebec, and homeless and precariously housed adults in an urban setting.

• Understanding the Link Between Cannabis Use and Mental Health: A Focus on the Experiences of Older Adults by Dr. Raza Mirza (University of Toronto)
• Picturing the Experiences and Perspectives of Cannabis Use by 2SLGBTQ Living With a Mental Illness in Québec by Dr. Olivier Ferlatte (University of Montreal)
• The Impacts of Cannabis Use on the Mental Health of In-Risk Communities by Kathleen Larose and Lauren Cameron (AAWEAR), and Lisa Elford and Erika Lemon (Habitus Collective)
• Joint Forces: Cannabis Use, Chronic Pain, and PTSD Among Canadian Veterans by Dr. Rob Whitley (RADAR Mental Health)

Webinar 3: Youth: Experiences of Cannabis and Mental Health

Examines cannabis and mental health among youth, including the impact of cannabis policies for young people.

• Evaluating the Impact of Local, Provincial, and National Cannabis Policies Among Youth in the COMPASS System by Dr. Scott Leatherdale (University of Waterloo)
• Youth-Led Development of Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines for Individuals Aged 13 to 18: A Pathway to Better Mental Health and Wellness by Dr. Cecilia Benoit (University of Victoria)
• Insights About Cannabis and Psychosis: How Do Young People With Early Psychosis Conceptualize the Link Between Cannabis and Psychosis, Particularly Those From Black and Racialized Backgrounds? By Dr. Suzanne Archie (McMaster University)
• Understanding Immigrant, Refugee, Ethnocultural, and Racialized (IRER) Youth’s Experiences of the Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Mental Health Using Experience-Based Co-Design Method by Farhang, Maaz Shahid and Khulud Baig (Centre for Resilience and Social Development)