Cannabis use in young people who are homeless

An article has recently been published in the journal PLOS One, titled “‘Something that actually works’: Cannabis use among young people in the context of street entrenchment”.

The research involved in-depth interviews with 56 young people who were “street-involved” (homeless), along with interviews with service providers that engage with this cohort. The interviews sought to understand the context of cannabis use in this group, most of whom were using a range of other substances like opioids and methamphetamine. The majority of the participants were using cannabis daily, yet none described their use as recreational. Rather, this group of young people described their cannabis use as a form of mental health and substance use treatment, which they perceived to be “healthier” than standard pharmaceutical treatments like anti-depressants or opioid treatments such as methadone. This research has important implications for service providers, who need to understand the function of various substances in the lives of the young people that they serve.

Read “‘Something that actually works’: Cannabis use among young people in the context of street entrenchment”