Canadian Government Launches Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium 

The Canadian government is investing $24 million to establish the Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium. The new consortium will include 10 multidisciplinary research teams that will investigate topics ranging from the therapeutic potential of cannabis to its effects on brain health, sleep, prenatal exposure, and among people with conditions such as psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and epilepsy. 

In a statement, Minister of Health Marjorie Michel said the investment “will bring together researchers from across the country to advance our understanding of how cannabis affects brain health and generate knowledge that helps improve care, inform policy and supports the health of Canadians.” 

Dr. Patricia Conrod, scientific director for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, said in the statement that the consortium “will help researchers build a stronger understanding of how cannabis affects people’s health at every stage of life, generating knowledge that can guide prevention, care and evidence-informed policies for years to come.” 

In 2025, more than one in three Canadian adults reported consuming cannabis, and the 2024 Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act examined how the broad legalization of cannabis in 2018 has impacted the country. The consortium is meant to address key knowledge gaps identified in that review.