Vinuli Withanarachchie

I am a doctoral candidate with expertise in health policy and women’s health. My research interests are driven by my professional and personal desire to reduce the gender gap and improve social outcomes for marginalised communities. I have observed a paucity of research on women’s engagement in the global medicinal cannabis (MC) phenomena. Scholarship shows MC is a highly promising therapeutic treatment in women’s health across their lifespan, particularly to treat gynecologic conditions. Critical gaps exist in our knowledge of women’s engagement in male-dominated cannabis regimes, specifically access disparities for Māori and Asians. Past studies on women’s drug use have narrowed the focus to substance abuse and perinatal complications, reflecting prejudice in current approaches. My PhD will pioneer the first exploration into “women’s relationship with medicinal cannabis”, using an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to address gender and ethnic variances, with the aim of improving health sector responses for wahine, Māori, Pasifika, and Asian ethnic communities.

Read Vinuli's Progress Report