Grant: Catalyst Grant: Cannabis and Mental Health - Priority populations

People with mental illness report high rates of cannabis use, which may suggest problematic use or even cannabis use disorder, but it may also reflect frequent use to manage mental health symptoms and conditions. There is a need for research that engages with Immigrant, Refugee, Ethno-cultural and Racialized (IRER) populations that relates to cannabis use and mental illness due to the disproportionate impact drug policies have historically had on these populations. We need to engage with these communities to promote and enhance health equity. Objectives include: 1) To give voice to and document IRER community members' experiences and perspectives on the relationship between cannabis and mental health; 2) To develop a greater understanding of IRER community members' mental health service interactions and utilization in relation to cannabis and mental health; and 3) To examine whether and how gender interacts with other social identities to influence perspectives and experiences with cannabis and mental illness. We will conduct a qualitative study with 80 members of IRER communities (e.g., Afro Caribbean, African, Indigenous, Latino, South Asian, and Southeast Asian) who have used cannabis monthly in the last year and accessed mental health/addiction services for a known psychiatric diagnosis in the past year. We will use purposive sampling and focus on the primary client base of the Centre for Addiction and Mental health (CAMH) and province-wide partners to include community agencies and remote locations. This project will mobilize research findings to develop recommendations and guidelines to inform mental health service improvements and promote culturally-appropriate care across Ontario and beyond, including a larger research-to-action initiative to address health care inequities for IRER populations who use cannabis and experience mental health challenges.