New Publication: Cannabis and Mental Health Among LGBTQ+ Youth 

The Qollab team has published a new article entitled « Motivations for Cannabis Use Among LGBTQ+ Youth: A Participatory Photovoice Study », published in the scientific journal Youth.

This article goes beyond narratives that frame cannabis solely as a risky substance. Instead, it examines the ways LGBTQ+ youth use cannabis and the role it can play in their mental health, gender, and sexuality.

Grounded in a community-based participatory approach, queer theory, and the ethics of care , this photovoice study was conducted in collaboration with youth peer researchers from the community.

A total of 46 LGBTQ+ youth (aged 15 to 24) shared photographs to describe their motivations and experiences related to cannabis use.

The motivations for cannabis use reported by LGBTQ+ youth included:

• Reconfigurer la pensée (Reconfiguring Thought) : Cannabis is used introspectively to foster critical reflection and evolve self-perception. It allows youth to adopt non-linear modes of thinking, reconsider painful experiences (related to stigma, normative expectations, or family tensions), and open up new perspectives on identity and mental health.
• Incarner son identité (Enacting Identity) : By reducing anxiety, fear of judgment, and self-censorship, cannabis facilitates the shift from internal reflection to external self-affirmation. It enables youth—particularly trans and non-binary youth—to experiment with gender expression, build self-confidence, and align their body image with their identity.
• Pratiquer le soin (Practicing Care) : Cannabis is used as a care practice aimed at regulating emotions, easing distress, and supporting healing processes. Beyond individual self-care, use within queer social spaces fosters intimacy, solidarity, and the creation of collective support and healing networks.