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Ottawa didn't made cannabis illegal until 1923. Ninety-five years later, it will once again be a legal substance. Today in The Conversation Canada, Catherine Carstairs of the University of Guelph takes us back half a century when the coming-of-age baby boom generation first began promoting marijuana not only as a recreational drug, but as a path to peace and enlightenment.
New Ontario Premier Doug Ford has swiftly cancelled a number of initiatives of the former Liberal government. Jim Woodgett of the University of Toronto looks at the sudden and unexplained decision to summarily dismiss Ontario’s first chief scientist, who only started her job six months ago.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revamped his cabinet this week in what will most likely be the last shuffle before next year’s federal election. Robert Drummond of York University provides an analysis of Trudeau’s team as it deals with a number of issues – trade, security and immigration – that could derail its re-election chances.
And finally….Playing board games is a favourite summertime activity for many families. Neha Shivhare and David Kaufman of Simon Fraser University tell us that game playing can be more than fun. Research shows it can change the brains of young people, both structurally and functionally. So get out the games this weekend!
Regards,
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Actors Luana Anders and Peter Fonda smoking a joint in a scene from the 1969 film ‘Easy Rider,’ a countercultural movie that influenced drug use by baby boomers in the 1960s.
(Columbia Pictures)
Catherine Carstairs, University of Guelph
Canada will soon legalize marijuana. For aging baby boomers, the move is a culmination of a cultural phenomenon that started in the 1960s.
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Molly Shoichet, Ontario’s first chief scientist, was fired by the provinces newly elected premier, Doug Ford.
(Roberta Baker/University of Toronto)
Jim Woodgett, University of Toronto
Governments lean on science advisers for guidance on increasingly complex issues of great concern, including oil and gas development, drug legalization, water quality and the environment.
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Mary Ng is hugged by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after being sworn in as Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion during a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall on July 18, 2018. The cabinet shuffle sets the stage for the next federal election in the fall of 2019.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Robert Drummond, York University, Canada
With a federal election next year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet. What do the new faces in new jobs tell us about where the government feels it could be challenged?
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Many board games strengthen the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brains of players. This results in improved cognitive functions such as IQ, memory, information retention and problem-solving.
(Shutterstock)
Neha Shivhare, Simon Fraser University; David Kaufman, Simon Fraser University
From dyslexia, to dementia to schizophrenia, there is evidence that playing games can help, while boosting family connections and emotional wellbeing.
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Politics
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Jean S. Renouf, Southern Cross University
Donald Trump's attacks on allies and conciliatory actions toward Russia have made European leaders feel more vulnerable than ever.
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Culture + Society
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Laura Jones, King's College London
The shocking lack of gender balance is not just bad for women. It's doing the public a major disservice.
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Health + Medicine
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Steve Kassem, Neuroscience Research Australia
Wearing a tie that causes slight discomfort can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5%, but the reduction is unlikely to cause any physical symptoms, which generally begin at a reduction of 10%.
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