How LGBTQ2S+ youth used cannabis to cope during the pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 63.6% of queer, non-binary, and transgender (QNT) youth in Canada increased their cannabis use, according to a mixed-methods study of 178 survey participants and 30 interviewed youth. This increase was most pronounced among those experiencing heightened mental health challenges, including anxiety and fatigue. The research reveals that cannabis served multiple functions in these young people's lives: as a coping mechanism for pandemic-related stress and boredom, as a tool for managing isolation, and even for enhancing productivity and creativity while confined at home.

What sets this research apart is its nuanced finding that QNT youth carefully weighed both the harms and benefits of cannabis use as they adapted to pandemic disruptions. Rather than viewing cannabis use as simply positive or negative, participants demonstrated a pragmatic approach—using it intentionally to address emotional needs like disconnecting from work and managing the psychological toll of isolation and systemic stress. The study highlights that this population faced compounded vulnerabilities, as pandemic-related public health measures intersected with existing mental health inequities affecting LGBTQ2S+ communities.

The research underscores an important gap in cannabis science: the need to understand how young people intentionally adapt substance use to address complex emotional and mental health needs, particularly within marginalized communities. Rather than focusing solely on problematic use, future research should examine how cannabis fits into broader wellness strategies and coping patterns. For QNT youth navigating multiple layers of stress—pandemic impacts, systemic discrimination, and isolation—cannabis represented one of many tools in their mental health toolkit, raising important questions about harm reduction, access to mental health services, and how to better support vulnerable youth populations.