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

People living with HIV use cannabis at 3-4 times the rates of others. The four priority populations identified in the CIHR cannabis and mental health catalyst competition are also well represented in the HIV community: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) communities; Immigrant, Refugee, Ethno-cultural and Racialized (IRER) populations; First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples; and people who use drugs. Our objectives are to: 1) Qualitatively explore the relationship between cannabis and mental illness within priority populations who live with HIV and consume cannabis; 2) Identify opportunities to improve the experiences of priority populations when accessing mental health and addiction services; 3) Mobilize research findings through national partners to reach community-based agencies and HIV Service Organizations to support their programmatic needs; and 4) Solidify existing partnerships and develop new ones to seek additional funding for interventions that promote a healthier relationship with cannabis and optimizes policies, programs, and services that improve the lives of people with HIV. As part of a partnership between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS)-including people with lived experience, national organizations, and peer networks-the overall goal of this community-based research project is to conduct a qualitative study with members of priority populations within the HIV community. We will conduct 8 virtual focus groups/talking circles and 40 one-to-one interviews to explore emerging themes and to accommodate participants' preferences. Our research team has considerable experience conducting collaborative research with people with HIV and people who use drugs, with a fundamental commitment to community engagement. CAS is well-suited to co-lead this project with CAMH given its deep integration in HIV communities nationally and partnerships.