U of T researchers to study impact of cannabis on Indigenous oral health – News@UofT

A multidisciplinary team from the University of Toronto, with experts from the Faculty of Dentistry and the Waakebiness-​Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health has been awarded a five year, $1.5-million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to study the impact of cannabis use on the oral health of Indigenous populations.

The researchers will work in partnership with Indigenous communities and public health authorities, including: Norway House Cree Nation (Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation) in northern Manitoba; the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA), with the First Nations of Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Attawapiskat, Weenusk (Peawanuck), and Kashechewan; and the town of Moosonee in northern Ontario; and Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Calgary, Alta.

Over the course of the study, participants will be monitored for changes in their oral health and oral microbiome, including inflammation of the oral mucosa and periodontal tissues and the development of pre-cancerous lesions and cancers of the mouth, head and neck, as well as changes in oral and facial sensory function.The study aims to provide first evidence of the oral health risks associated with cannabis use in Canada’s Indigenous populations, which already experience a disproportionate burden of oral disease.

Read More: https://www.utoronto.ca/news/u-t-researchers-study-impact-cannabis-indigenous-oral-health