Cannapix is starting up again, this time around as a cellphilm study with a focus on harm reduction experiences and perspectives of 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth who use cannabis. We are interested to know more about the ways in which 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth care for themselves and for each other when they use cannabis.

Cannapix (2020-2022) explores the perspectives and experiences of 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth at the intersection of mental health and cannabis use. Forty-six 2S/LGBTQIA+ individuals aged 15 to 24 and residing in Quebec took photographs related to their cannabis use, mental health and sexual and gender identities. Guided by these photographs, interviews were conducted to shed light on several elements: the positive and negative effects of cannabis on mental health, the difficulty of accessing mental health resources and the marginalization of 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth in the healthcare environment.

Photographs produced by participants of the Cannapix project contribute to the de-stigmatization of mental health issues and cannabis use, and stimulate reflections and discussions about how to improve and adapt health services for 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth. The participant photographs challenge norms and discourses on substance use and mental health and are an invitation to discuss cannabis use in compassionate and non-judgmental ways.

We invite you to explore these reflections and take part in this important discussion, through the eyes of those involved. Many thanks to our 46 artist-participants for their invaluable contributions!

Write to us if you have any questions: [email protected]

HUMANS BEHIND THE PROJECT

Principal Investigator
Olivier Ferlatte

Co-investigators 
Rod Knight, Jorge Flores-Aranda, Joanne Otis et Julie-Soleil Meson

Coordinator and Postdoctoral Researcher
Tara Chanady

Peer Researchers 
Pierre-Jacques Dublois, Kinda Wassef et Sarah-Jade Cyr

Cannapix is funded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.