Ottawa, Ontario - Canadian Institutes of Health Research
In 2025, more than one in three Canadian adults reported having used cannabis, which was legalized for non-medical use in Canada in 2018. While many people use cannabis without experiencing serious adverse effects, important questions remain about its impact on brain health at different stages of life, particularly for youth, pregnant people, frequent users and people at increased risk of mental health harms.
Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced a $24 million investment through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to establish the Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium, Canada's first national cannabis and brain health research consortium.
This initiative will bring together researchers and expertise from across the country to study how cannabis affects brain health across the lifespan. It will also create a coordinated national research infrastructure to facilitate data harmonization, pooling, and access across provinces and territories, establishing a national resource that researchers throughout Canada can use for years to come.
The consortium's 10 multidisciplinary research teams will investigate topics ranging from the therapeutic potential of cannabis to its effects on brain health, sleep, and prenatal exposure. Researchers will also study cannabis use among people with conditions such as psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and epilepsy to better understand its effects on health and well-being. Their findings will help improve health outcomes and support evidence-informed health care and public policy.
