Experiences, impacts, and perspectives of recreational cannabis use among Indigenous communities: A scoping review

Research on the patterns and correlates of cannabis use suggests a disproportionately higher use incidence across Indigenous populations in Canada and the United States. As cannabis use is related to several deleterious social and behavioral consequences for which Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately vulnerable, it is a public health concern. We gathered and organized the extant research on cannabis use among Indigenous groups to describe emergent themes and future research areas.

We conducted a scoping review of articles published between 2005 and February 2020 on Indigenous populations and cannabis use in Canada and the United States. We screened 1,934 articles indexed through APA PsycInfo, Scopus, and Medline, 152 of which were systematically coded and analyzed.

Most studies focused on the prevalence and patterns of cannabis use initiation, followed by protective and risk factors, correlations of cannabis use and other substance use, correlations of cannabis with mental health diagnoses and with other health consequences, interventions for cannabis use, and cannabis legalization issues. Most articles focused on youth, were analyzed quantitatively, and discussed cannabis use in the context of general substance use.

Future research should explore culturally appropriate intervention programs and the impact of cannabis legalization issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).