Women Growing Older With Cannabis
PhotoVoice Project
About the Research
The current post-legalization climate in Canada has provided an environment where people who are a part of the aging population are consuming or considering consuming cannabis for a whole host of reasons including physical health, mental health and recreation. Existing research on women and cannabis has been primarily situated within biomedical, public health and social care frameworks that position women as vulnerable to cannabis dependency as a result of mental health and addiction concerns. Moreover, there is very little if any social science research on the interface between women, aging and cannabis access and consumption. One glaring observation in cannabis research is the absence of women’s voices, in particular, women who are representative of the aging community. Engaging with older women to identify their most pressing questions and concerns provides a critical baseline for determining how to develop best practices and policies in cannabis education and social care for the women and aging population.
Research Objectives
The primary objective of this pilot project is to explore three interconnected questions:
What does this population know or think they know about the risks, benefits and general effects of cannabis on their physical, mental and social well being?
What are the most burning questions that older women have about consuming cannabis in relation to their physical, mental and social well-being?
Who do they trust to talk about cannabis and/or how to access cannabis?
The secondary objective of this pilot study is to assess the suitability of the Photovoice method for research on women, aging and cannabis, and to use our Photovoice process as a way to explore knowledge transfer and mobilization tools that would ensure the inclusion of the participants in future activities.
Our goal is to document the success and challenges of using Photovoice with an aging population and to draw on our learning from both the process and outcomes to develop a larger research study that will be submitted for tri-council funding.
