Sharing our knowledge
Here you can find the latest publications by our Cannabis Health Evaluation and Research Partnership team. Updated resources and information will be added as they become available.
Follow us on Twitter (@cherpCA) and Facebook (cherpCA) for more information, news and updates.
Public education and events
CHERP Evidence to Policy Symposium – Winter 2023
Five years post legalization, it is time to come together to discuss the impact of cannabis policies on the health and public safety of individuals living in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). The Cannabis Health Evaluation and Research Partnership (CHERP) team hosted an Evidence-to-Policy symposium with key stakeholders and community members. This symposium addressed five key cannabis-related topics, sharing findings from CHERP research initiatives and hosting round table discussions to formulate considerations and recommendations moving forward. Altogether, the research and engagement of the CHERP team over the past three years has allowed them to present an inclusive and expansive picture of current cannabis-related issues and recommend policy action that would serve to benefit the needs of the province as well as to support public health and safety in NL.
You can read about what we heard during this symposium from CHERP Symposium WWH Report.
Cannabis Crossroads Webinar Series – Fall 2021
Session 1: Safe Access to Cannabis
With the legalization of non-medical cannabis in Canada, there are now options that provide safe methods for accessing cannabis.During this panel discussion, Taylor Giovannini, Ryan Hawco, and Paul Seaborn discuss the access of cannabis through licensed and unlicensed markets, provide insights into some of the regulations surrounding access, and discuss the evolving retail market including adaptations to regulations that have happened in response to consumer insights.
Session 2: Cannabis and the Workplace
With the recent legalization of non-medical cannabis in Canada, there are new concerns about cannabis use negatively impacting workplace safety. During this panel discussion, we will explore both employers’ and employees’ perspectives and responsibilities with keeping the workplace safe, while recognizing those who require cannabis for medical purposes.
Session 3: Cannabis Use and Driving
Cannabis has been shown to negatively impact one’s driving ability similar to alcohol; however, public awareness and attitudes towards the risks of driving under the influence of cannabis are not in line with this reality. Studies have shown that cannabis consumption reduces concentration and attention span, slows reaction time, and alters perceptions of time and distance. During this panel discussion, Dr. John Weber, Retired S/Sgt. Stephen Conohan, Dr. Jennifer Donnan and Dalainey Drakes will discuss the evidence on cannabis driving impairment, how law enforcement handles it, and the perceptions of risk among drivers.
Session 4: Information about Medical Cannabis
During this continuing education session on medical cannabis and harm reduction, we discuss current evidence around medical cannabis use, how we can support our patient population with respect to cannabis, and how patients can access medical cannabis.
Dr. Alia Norman's presentation
Evidence-to-policy symposium – Winter 2023
The Booklet of the Evidence-to-policy symposium
Conference presentations
Oral
See a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Donnan on the impacts of Cannabis legalization on youth and young adults in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- Using a public engaged approach to identify priority areas for cannabis policy evaluation. Lisa Bishop (presenter), Jennifer Donnan and Maisam Najafizada (contributors). Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 2021 Annual Conference (virtual). May 19-21, 2021
- Consumer preferences for attributes of cannabis products: A qualitative assessment of drivers of purchase decisions. Jennifer Donnan (presenter), Omar Shogan, Lisa Bishop, and Maisam Najafizada (contributors). Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 2021 Annual Conference (virtual). May 19-21, 2021
Posters
- Najafizada M, Donnan J, Bishop L. Using Twitter to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on Cannabis Consumption in Canada. CCSA's Issues of Substance 2021, November 23–25, 2021. (virtual) Accepted
- Donnan J, Bishop L, Najafizada M, Blackmore A. Impact of Cannabis Legalization on School Age Youth. Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) Issues of Substance Conference 2021, November 23-25, 2021 (virtual). (accepted)
- Grandy C, Donnan J, Bishop L. A descriptive study of perinatal substance use on maternal mental health. Public Health 2021, October 7-9, 2021 (virtual).
- Shogan O, Donnan J, Bishop L, Swab M, Najafizada M. Characteristics that Influence Purchase Choice for Cannabis Products: A Systematic Review. Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) 2021 (virtual). May 31-June 3, 2021
- Arifurr Rahman, Lisa Bishop, Jennifer Donnan, Maisam Najafizada. A content analysis of cannabis-related tweets in Canada. Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 2021 Annual Conference (virtual). May 19-21, 2021
- Jennifer Donnan, Omar Shogan, Lisa Bishop, Michelle Swab, Maisam Najafizada. Characteristics that influence purchase choice for Cannabis Products: A Systematic Review. Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 2021 Annual Conference (virtual). May 19-21, 2021
- L. Bishop, J. Donnan, M. Najafizada. Identifying priority areas for cannabis policy evaluation: considering youth health and safety. Cannabis Knowledge Exchange Forum 2021 (virtual). Feb 4, 2021
- O’Leary B, Bishop L, Donnan J, Najafizada M, Dong Z. Using Social Media to Explore Public Opinions and Perceptions on Cannabis Legalization. Memorial University School of Pharmacy Research Day, St. John’s, NL. November 27, 2020.
- Shogan O, Donnan J, Bishop L, Swab M, Najafizada M. Characteristics that Influence Purchase Choice for Cannabis Products: A Systematic Review. Memorial University School of Pharmacy Research Day, St. John’s, NL. November 27, 2020.
Media
Jennifer Donnan. Interview with Paddy Daley. VOCM Open Line. March 10th, 2023
Lisa Bishop interview. Cannabis education. CBC John’s Morning Show with Ramraajh Sharvendiran. St. John’s, NL. April 19, 2022.
Maisam Najafizada interview. Driving and cannabis. The Drive with Ted Henley on Global News Radio 770CHQR in Calgary, Alberta. January 11, 2022.
Lisa Bishop interview. Cannabis-impaired driving. Kitchener Today with Brian Bourke. 570 News, Kitchener, Ontario. January 10, 2022.
Jennifer Donnan, Chris Crosbie, Chris French. Cannabis research, safe production, legalization and medical usage. The Wahl Show. VOCM. September 2, 2021
Engaging Youth about Cannabis Use. The TandemNewsletter: Public Engagement News, Insights & Ideas from Memorial University, Issue 4, Summer 2022.
Growing knowledge: Webinar series keeping the cannabis conversation rolling. The Gazette, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Sept 29, 2021.
Cannabis 101: Burning questions about CBD, THC and everything in between. The Gazette, Memorial University of Newfoundland. April 20, 2021
Cannabis researchers keep the conversation rolling with new webinar series. The Gazette, Memorial University of Newfoundland. September 2021.
Cannabis legalization in Canada. Weekend Mornings on CKNW with Stirling Faux. 980 Global News Radio CKNW, Vancouver, British Columbia. Lisa Bishop and Jennifer Donnan. March 14, 2021
Cannabis education. Kitchener Today with Brian Bourke. 570 News, Kitchener, Ontario. Lisa Bishop. March 8, 2021
How do you feel about the recreational cannabis regulations in our province? Cross Talk with Ramona Dearing, CBC Radio NL. Jennifer Donnan and Lisa Bishop. September 24, 2020
Jennifer Donnan. Interview with Krissy Holmes and Ramraajh Sharvendiran. The St. John’s Morning Show. CBC. September 18th, 2020
Jennifer Donnan. Interview with Colleen Power and Steve Finn. Campus Connect. https://soundcloud.com/chmr-news/campusconnectjuly242020 July 24, 2020
Jennifer Donnan MUN School of Pharmacy – Study on Where People Buy Cannabis. Your VOCM. https://soundcloud.com/vocm/dr-jennifer-donnan-mun-school-of-pharmacy-study-on-where-people-buy-cannabis July 7, 2020
Interview with Ted Blades. On the Go. CBC. [Not yet available] Jennifer Donnan. June 30, 2020
How do you feel about the recreational cannabis regulations in our province? Cross Talk with Ramona Dearing, CBC Radio NL. Jennifer Donnan and Lisa Bishop. September 24, 2020
Read an article in the Gazette, Memorial's official news site, about CHERP's webinar series, Cannabis Crossroads: https://gazette.mun.ca/public-engagement/growing-knowledge/
Listen to one of our PIs, Dr. Jennifer Donnan, share about the work we're doing on The Wahl Show podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/user/mikewahl/cannabis-show-final-sept-2
View our "Cannabis 101" session, delivered in partnership with the Memorial Office of Alumni Engagement:
Check out the report detailing findings from our Newfoundland and Labrador cannabis policy needs assessment (PDF).
"Cannabis education should aim to normalize - not prevent - safe and legal use" (The Conversation Canada)
Publications
J Donnan, K Johnston, M Najafizada, L Bishop. Drivers of Purchase Decisions Among Consumers of Dried Flower Cannabis Products – A Discrete Choice Experiment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. (Accepted March 2023)
J Donnan, K Johnston, M Coombs, M. Najafizada, L Bishop. Exploring consumer preferences for cannabis vape products to support public health policy: A discrete choice experiment. Canadian Journal of Public Health. (Accepted March 2023)
Donnan J.R., Drakes, D. H., Bishop L, D., Rowe, E.C., & Najafizada M. Driving under the Influence of Cannabis: Perceptions from Canadian Youth. BMJ Public Health (2022). Vol 22. Article No. 2384.
Harris-Lane, L., Drakes, D. H., Donnan, J. R., Rowe E. C., Bishop, L. D., Harris, N. Emerging adult perceptions of cannabis consumption post-legalization: Considering age and sex differences. Journal of Adolescent Health (2022). DOI: 1016/j.jadohealth.2022.10.008
L. Bishop, D. Drakes, J. Donnan, E. Rowe, M. Najafizada. Exploring Youths’ Cannabis Health Literacy Post Legalization: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Adolescent Research. Aug 2023 https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221118380
J Donnan, R Huang, L Twells. Patient Preferences for Attributes of Health Canada Approved Weight Loss Medications Among Adults Living with Obesity in Canada: A Qualitative Study. Patient Preference and Adherence. Vol 19. Pg. 911-923. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S350411. eCollection 2022
Najafizada M., Rahman A., Donnan J., Dong Z., Bishop L. Analyzing sentiments and themes on cannabis in Canada using Twitter data. Journal of Cannabis Research. Vol 4(22). 2022. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-022-00132-1
J. Donnan, O. Shogan, L. Bishop, M. Swab, M. Najafizada. Characteristics that Influence Purchase Choice for Cannabis Products: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Cannabis Research. Vol 4 (9). 2022. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-022-00117-0
J. Donnan, O. Shogan, L. Bishop, M. Najafizada. Drivers of purchase decisions for cannabis products among consumers in a legalized market: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health. Vol 22 (368). 2022. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12399-9
Grandy C, Donnan J, Bishop L, Prakash A. An Update on Perinatal Cannabis Use. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. Vol 44(3). Pg. 309-312. March 2022 (In Press) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogc.2021.10.009