Dr. David Hammond joins first national Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium

Dr. David Hammond of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences is one of 10 research team leads across the country named to a major new initiative called the Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium.

Funded by $24 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the researchers in the consortium will work together to investigate how cannabis affects the brain in people of various ages. At Waterloo, Hammond’s team will use population-based cohort studies of cannabis use to examine health risks and brain health.

“Canada has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world,” says Hammond. “About eight million Canadians use cannabis each year and two million use cannabis daily. Despite its popularity, we know surprisingly little about the health effects of cannabis. Our study will help us understand the long-term effect on mental health, memory and other brain functions.”

The consortium’s other research leads are based at Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal, McGill University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University and the University of Calgary.