NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region, North Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, alcohol, cannabis, legalization

Objective(s): To capture and explore Indigenous people views on regulatory responses to cannabis and alcohol in Canada, with specific focus on cannabis prohibition versus the new Canadian cannabis legalization and different regulatory responses to alcohol that have been tried over time (free market vs dry communities).

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4930. The intention of this research is to capture and explore Indigenous people views on regulatory responses to cannabis and alcohol in Canada, with specific focus on cannabis prohibition versus the new Canadian cannabis legalization and different regulatory responses to alcohol that have been tried over time (free market vs dry communities). This has not been addressed in the legislation, which vests control over the implementation of the law and its regulations in the federal and provincial governments only. The research will seek knowledge on how the provisions of the federal Cannabis Act apply to Indigenous communities in Canada. It will further extend to identify the critical issue on how to place Indigenous people at the centre for future regulatory debates surrounding drugs and alcohol – whether looking at such populations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand or other parts of the globe. The research is exploratory in nature. It will employ grounded theory (semi-structured interviews) bringing together interviews with the participants from four selected communities in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, and document analysis. The research is constructed using a grounded theory approach involving four Indigenous communities from the Northwest Territories in Canada. Data will be collected from 25-30 Indigenous stakeholders and participants in communities through participant conversations over phone or Zoom/Skype (estimated total sample of 5-10 per community). The grounded theory method establishes the process for collecting and analyzing the information gathered through a mix of secondary data, observations, and discussions with the respondents. This will be followed by more iterative and focused review of the information collected. In addition to being exploratory in nature, the methodology will be Empirical Research in Law: with a view to understanding how the relevant Acts operate and what effects they have. Doing so will enable a unique exploration of views/attitudes re prohibition/criminalization, fill an important research gap and inspire fairness to Indigenous people and communities in the development of alcohol and drug (AOD) regulatory policies, particularly cannabis legalization. This will set the stage for inclusion of Indigenous peoples in the future drug policy regulatory debates. Pre- Interviews: As a first step, Chiefs of the four communities were contacted to confirm their interest in the participation of the project. Written confirmation of support and assistance in recruitment of participants from the communities is attached. During Research: Communication Plan will be flexible to mitigate COVID related risks. Remote interaction and conducting online or internet-based research will be main medium of communication with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Any specific ethical concerns regarding privacy, transparency, confidentiality, and security will be addressed by specific measures which will be documented and implemented in a timely manner as per the challenges and requirements related to the pandemic. The interviews will be held on phone and via Skype/Zoom. Post -Interviews: All participants will be sent a short summary research bulletin. They will also be given the option to receive subsequent research outputs: articles and research summary. A copy of the full thesis will be provided to participating communities only, if requested. The outcome of the research will be communicated with the participating communities as per the template attached. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 23, 2021 to December 31, 2021.