Thesis Defence: “It’s a plant and that’s why I think it’s a medicine”: Indigenous Perspectives of Cannabis use on Turtle Island

Jordyn Cates, supervised by Dr. Zach Walsh, will defend their thesis titled “’It’s a plant and that’s why I think it’s a medicine’: Indigenous Perspectives of Cannabis use on Turtle Island” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology.

An abstract for Jordyn Cates’ thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences.

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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 has 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, access of cannabis, barriers to healthcare, and the impacts of legalization. Our findings show that the majority of respondents have consider cannabis a medicine. Cannabis was used for multitude 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 among our Indigenous respondents cannabis use was perceived as a part of an approach to enhance overall well-being and was not generally considered problematic.