Advancing Knowledge and Measurement

University of Calgary
Funding recipient: David C. Hodgins
Priority area: Impact of cannabis legalization

The aim of this study is to pilot the clinical use of a brief, self-directed intervention for individuals with problematic cannabis use who wish to recover with minimal professional support. A remotely offered intervention for this population of individuals could fill an important role within an integrated public health approach.

Read the abstract

University of Alberta
Funding recipient: Dr. Suzette Brémault-Phillips
Priority area: Cannabis use in priority/marginalized populations

This study aims to address the significant knowledge gap about medical vs. recreational cannabis use by Canadian veterans, and to better understand the benefits and possible harms of this use to them and their families.

University of British Columbia
Funding recipient: Dr. Christian Schütz
Priority area: Polysubstance use

This study will investigate the risks and potential benefits of THC and CBD use among individuals with severe polysubstance use. The study will consist of a systematic review, participant interviews and a pilot study testing CBD.

Read the abstract

University of British Columbia
Funding recipient: Dr. Lindsay Farrell and Dr. Zach Walsh
Priority area: Cannabis use in priority/marginalized populations

The study aims to broaden our understanding of the motives for cannabis use among First Nations individuals living in British Columbia and Alberta. It will emphasize assessing both risk for problematic use and potential benefits of therapeutic use for symptoms of chronic pain, anxiety and sleep disorder.

Read the abstract

Homewood Research Institute
Funding recipient: Dr. Jean Costello
Priority area: Mental health

This project will explore associations among cannabis use, other substance use and common psychiatric symptoms. The study will use two clinical samples of patients entering treatment for substance use disorder or concurrent disorders.

Read the abstract

Memorial University
Funding recipient: Dr. Jennifer Donnan
Priority area: Impact of cannabis legalization on illegal cannabis purchase and supply

The goal of this study is to get a deeper understanding of consumer preferences for the different varieties of cannabis products. It will also gather data from across Canada and compare consumer preferences in relation to different provincial policies and cultures.

Read the abstract

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Funding recipient: Dr. Sameer Imtiaz
Priority area: Polysubstance use

This study will examine the impacts of cannabis legalization on alcohol consumption, co-occurring cannabis and alcohol consumption, and alcohol consequences based on population-based surveys and health administrative databases of adolescents and adults in Ontario.

Read the abstract

St. Francis Xavier University
Funding recipient: Dr. Kara Thompson
Priority area: Mental health

This study will investigate psychophysiological markers of risk for physical and mental health disorders across different modes of cannabis administration. It will include sex- and gender-specific impacts on cannabis use practices and effects using a sample of young adults.

Read the abstract

McMaster University
Funding recipient: Dr. Benicio Frey
Priority area: Mental health

The aim of this study is to conduct age- and gender-based analyses on the profile of cannabis use for pain and mental health conditions within a large, naturalistic sample of Canadians.

Read the abstract

University of Waterloo
Funding recipient: Dr. Samantha Goodman and Dr. David Hammond
Priority area: Impact of cannabis packaging and labelling requirements

The project will use survey data from the International Cannabis Policy Study to examine changes in knowledge and perceptions of health risks before and after non-medical cannabis legalization, as well as the effectiveness of the health warnings implemented on Canadian cannabis products and their impact on knowledge of cannabis health risks.

Read the abstract

Dalhousie University
Funding recipient: Dr. Igor Yakovenko
Priority area: Vaping

This project will look at what knowledge emerging Canadian adults have about vaping cannabis and whether this information is considered trustworthy or accurate by this population. Researchers will also look at whether this information can be used to predict lower perceptions of harm from vaping, which in turn can lead to greater substance use problems.

Read the abstract

Memorial University
Funding recipient: Dr. Hai V. Nguyen
Priority area: Youth cannabis consumption

This study will investigate the effects of recreational cannabis legalization in Canada on recreational cannabis use among youth and medical cannabis consumption.

Read the abstract

Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
Funding recipient: Dr. Didier Jutras-Aswad
Priority area: Cannabis use in priority/marginalized populations

This project aims to determine whether the source of cannabis supply reported by Quebecers is associated with specific patterns of cannabis use and increased vulnerability to cannabis-related harms such as problematic cannabis use, mental health problems and cannabis-impaired driving.

Read the abstract

University of Waterloo
Funding recipient: Elle Wadsworth and Dr. David Hammond
Priority area: Legal vs illegal cannabis market

The objective of this study is to examine sources of cannabis purchases in Canada, including legal and illegal retail sources, and the policy- and individual-level factors associated with purchasing patterns and transitioning to the legal market.

Read the abstract

Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Health
Funding recipient: Dr. Philip G. Tibbo
Priority area: Healthcare service impacts of cannabis use

The project aims to investigate patients coming into contact with the emergency department due to adverse events, both medical and mental health side effects, related to cannabis use.

Read the abstract

University of British Columbia
Funding recipient: Dr. Alasdair M. Barr
Priority area: Mental health

This project will explore the relationship between cannabis use and mental health in a marginalized population on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Researchers will conduct a series of mental health assessments and obtain highly detailed information about why individuals use cannabis, what type of cannabis they use and patterns of use.

Read the abstract

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Funding recipient: Dr. Stefan Kloiber
Priority area: Mental health

This study aims to assess patterns, effects, perceptions and motivations of cannabis use in adults with mood and anxiety disorders. The study will be performed through an anonymous online survey and patient focus groups and interviews.

Read the abstract

Carleton University
Funding recipient: Dr. Michael Wohl
Priority area: Problematic cannabis use and cannabis use disorder

This project will address the existing gaps in knowledge about responsible cannabis use strategies and social psychological predictors of engagement in responsible vs. harmful cannabis use. It also aims to develop a reliable and valid tool to measure responsible cannabis use beliefs and behaviours.

Read the abstract

McMaster University
Funding recipient: Dr. Saara Greene
Priority area: Cannabis use in priority/marginalized populations

This study aims to contribute to the development of culturally responsive public health practices and policies that reflect the needs and experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), and parents who have child welfare involvement, who consume cannabis during pregnancy and are breast/chest feeding.

Read the abstract

Rates of Covid-19 varied across Canada, with some areas being identified as “hot spots” due to prolonged outbreaks requiring stricter lockdown measures. The potential impacts of these measures (i.e., stress, anxiety, isolation, boredom, loneliness, and changes in daily routines) are all factors linked to higher rates of cannabis and other substance use. While existing research has examined the overall impact of Covid-19 on cannabis use at the national level, it is not yet known whether this impact varies across jurisdictions. The current research examines whether the Covid-19 pandemic has had a differentiated impact on cannabis use patterns and behaviours across Canada. The objective is to compare differences in prevalence and frequency of cannabis use in relation to Covid-19 rates across health regions. The data, drawn from Statistics Canada’s 2018, 2019, and 2020 National Cannabis Survey (NCS), suggests that use of cannabis and frequency of use were higher in health regions with higher Covid-19 rates. The findings support the need for educational initiatives that further harm reduction aims in populations vulnerable to social dislocations magnified by the pandemic.

The objectives of this research project were to examine the association between variations in provincial cannabis regulatory policies on differences in a) hospitalizations for pediatric cannabis poisonings and b) hospitalizations caused by cannabis in youth and adults following the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada. Study findings to date have shown a substantial increase in hospitalizations for cannabis poisonings in children following the legalization of non-medical cannabis. Most of the increase occurred after the introduction of the legal sale of cannabis edible products. Canadian provinces allowing the sale of cannabis edibles experienced double the increase in pediatric cannabis poisonings compared to the province that prohibited their sale.

This systematic review, encompassing 22 studies and 32 distinct primary analyses, examined the relationship between physical cannabis retail access, harmful cannabis use, and related health harms. The primary exposure of interest was the accessibility of physical cannabis stores, while the outcomes examined were: 1) frequent or problematic cannabis use 2) health issues associated with cannabis use leading to healthcare encounters 3) cannabis use during pregnancy, and adverse neonatal birth outcomes.

The results showed a consistent association between greater cannabis retail access and 1) increased cannabis-related healthcare service utilization (8/9 studies, 89%), 2) increased cannabis use and cannabis-related hospitalization during pregnancy (4/4 studies, 100%), and 3) frequent cannabis use in adults and young adults (6/10, 60%). These findings caution that allowing greater legal cannabis retail store availability may result in increases in harmful patterns of cannabis use and cannabis- harms.

The introduction of a legal regulatory framework for adult cannabis use in Canada represents a significant departure from a century of cannabis prohibition. In comparison to many jurisdictions in the United States, however, Canadian legalization efforts have done little to explicitly address the harms caused by drug prohibition and to foster equity in the legal cannabis industry. In this report, the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation aims to chart a path forward for cannabis equity in Canada to inform the legislative review of the Cannabis Act and the ongoing development of cannabis law and policy. It begins by discussing the state of cannabis equity in Canada, then explores how cannabis equity has been pursued elsewhere, before offering recommendations for how cannabis equity could be pursued in Canada. For this report, “cannabis equity” is defined as:

1. Inclusion of people from underrepresented racial groups and genders – with a focus on people adversely affected by cannabis prohibition – in the employment and economic opportunities emerging from the legal cannabis industry,
2. Amnesty for people with previous cannabis convictions, and
3. Reinvestment of cannabis taxes into equity programs.

Findings and recommendations in this report can equip policymakers with the knowledge necessary for redressing harms associated with the history of cannabis prohibition, avoiding the replication of historical disparities in the legal cannabis industry, and foregrounding equity as an essential component of cannabis policy in Canada.

Although youth are considered a priority population for cannabis prevention and education efforts in the context of legal cannabis in Canada, there is very limited research addressing young people’s access to cannabis-specific treatment. Currently, very little is known about cannabis treatment in the context of polysubstance use, concurrent mental health diagnoses, and cannabis treatment outcomes. This exploratory, qualitative project investigates the experiences and needs of young people aged 16-25 when seeking treatment for cannabis use in Alberta. Our methodology entails a single embedded case study design, with data collected from multiple sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of a complex phenomenon. Interviews and focus groups will be carried out with youth, parents and caregivers, treatment providers, and system stakeholders. Additionally, health administrative data on youth treatment occurrences post-legalization will be triangulated with the qualitative findings, and we will provide a comprehensive systems mapping of available services across the province. Data collection is currently taking place, with a target sample of 25 to 30 interviews and two focus groups. Interviews with youth and service providers carried out to date a suggest a range of views on the accessibility and effectiveness of current treatment services, as well as perceived connections between health and social inequities and patterns of problematic cannabis use.