Opinion: Calgary Indigenous team studies weed as traditional medicine – Calgary Herald

For far too long, researchers have used marginalized populations as the subjects of their work. Henrietta Lacks is among the most well-known examples. She was a young African American mother of five, whose cancer cells were immortalized in service to science, without the benefit of her knowledge or consent.

Unfortunately, this abuse of power is far from an isolated incident. In Canada, our own shame includes medical experiments conducted on the vulnerable children who attended residential schools.

It’s little wonder, then, that groups who’ve been structurally marginalized would display an innate mistrust of the scientific community. Redressing this ill is integral to reimagining inclusive, meaningful research in partnership with communities.

Read More: https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-indigenous-group-explores-past-and-present-with-study-of-cannabis-as-first-nations-medicine