“It’s a plant and that’s why I think it’s a medicine” : Indigenous perspectives of cannabis use on Turtle Island
department or school: Arts and Social Sciences, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Psychology, Department of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Cates, Jordyn Mackenzie
issued: 2024-08-21T21:03:18Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: 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.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/88993
note: “IT’S A PLANT AND THAT’S WHY I THINK IT’S A MEDICINE”: INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES OF CANNABIS USE ON TURTLE ISLAND by Jordyn Mackenzie Cates B.Sc., University of British Columbia, 2021 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Psychology) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) August 2024 © Jordyn Mackenzie Cates, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: “IT’S A PLANT AND THAT’S WHY I THINK IT’S A MEDICINE”: CANNABIS USE ON TURTLE ISLAND: INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES submitted by Jordyn Mackenzie Cates in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Examining Committee: Dr. Zachary Walsh, Psychology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisor Dr. Lindsay Farrell, Psychology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Jessica Lougheed, Psychology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Alanaise Ferguson, Community, Culture and Global Studies, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University Examiner iii Abstract 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, th…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0445114
language: eng
degree discipline: Psychology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Walsh, Zachary
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88993