Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Approximately 25% of Canadian youth reported using cannabis in 2013, and many consider it to be a safe or harmless substance. Given concerns that this use coincides with a period of significant brain development, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse is in the process of finalizing a report which summarizes the evidence regarding the effects of youth cannabis use on neurodevelopment. Chapters will address cannabis use and motivation, mental health, addiction and effective approaches for the prevention and treatment of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. To disseminate the findings, we propose to work with outstanding Canadian researchers to hold community events in five locations across Canada from September to December, 2015. These events will share what we know, what we do not know, and what evidence is emerging with local representatives from a variety of sectors including education, primary and specialized health care, youths, parent support networks, mental health professionals, public health, research, government, treatment providers, the drug prevention workforce, and public health. A significant portion of each event will focus on addressing common questions related to cannabis and engaging attendees in a meaning dialogue that speaks directly to the relevance of our report findings to their daily work. In terms of expected outcomes, these sessions will help to improve the capacity of stakeholders to engage in evidence-informed conversations with youth and their families about the effects of cannabis use, which may ultimately help to reduce the harms associated with this drug.