Open Collections

Cates, Jordyn Mackenzie

University of British Columbia

Since the legalization of adult recreational cannabis use in Canada, Indigenous leaders have made numerous calls on the provincial and federal governments for adequate and appropriate consultation regarding the Cannabis Act. These calls parallel the narrative surrounding research with Indigenous communities, which have historically enacted Western methods, often leading to non-collaborative approaches or exclusionary dynamics. This study brings together Indigenous researchers, substance use experts, and representatives from Indigenous communities and organizations to provide a platform for Indigenous perspectives on cannabis. Guided by Two-Eyed Seeing, in conjunction with Wilson’s (2008) circular research paradigm, this mixed-methods study explores what Indigenous Peoples think about cannabis use, what motivates them to use it, how it is used as a substitute for other substances, the modes and patterns of use, the access of cannabis, barriers to health care, and the impacts of legalization. Our findings show that the majority of respondents consider cannabis to be a medicine. Cannabis was used for an array of reasons both within and between respondents, with most reporting both cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP) and cannabis for recreational purposes (CRP). Cannabis was used as a substitute for a variety of substances including, alcohol, stimulants, opioids, cigarettes, and benzodiazepines. It was predominately disliked due to the associated stigma. Similarly, almost half of the respondents reported experiencing discrimination from their doctor because of cannabis use. Overall, we heard that cannabis use was perceived as an approach to enhance overall well-being and was not generally considered problematic.

Text

2024-08-21

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88993

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/