Philippe Lucas, Ph.D., is a cannabis and psychedelic researcher and a lifelong safe access advocate. He conducted his graduate work at the University of Victoria, earning an MA in Studies in Policy and Practice and a PhD in Social Dimensions of Health, and he is an instructor in UVic’s Continuing Studies Program, where he is teaching the university’s first course on psychedelic substances and public health.
In 1999, Philippe founded the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, one of Canada’s first medical cannabis dispensaries, and he was the founding Board Chair of the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies Canada and co-founder of the Victoria Association of Psychedelic Studies. Following a term on Victoria’s City Council, he worked as VP, Global Patient Research & Access at Tilray, where he oversaw a comprehensive international clinical and observational cannabis research program. Currently, Philippe is a Research Affiliate at the University of Michigan’s Psychedelic Center, and his studies include the Canadian Psychedelic Survey 2022 and the Global Psychedelic Survey 2023/25.
Philippe has worked with governments around the globe to develop evidence-based drug policies with a focus on harm reduction and safe access, and he has received a number of accolades for his patient research and advocacy, including the High Times Freedom Fighter Award, the Americans for Safe Access Researcher of the Year Award, the Cannabis Council of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.