Ontario Review Board eases reporting requirements for man found not criminally responsible amid cannabis concerns
The Ontario Review Board lowered Andrew Brazier’s mandatory hospital reporting from every two months to at least once every three months, despite his psychiatrist’s worries about his cannabis use.
During a recent hearing, the Ontario Review Board reduced the frequency of Andrew Brazier’s required check-ins with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton from bi-monthly to at least once every three months. Brazier, previously found not criminally responsible for killing his step-grandfather in 2008 and for threatening his father in 2015, lives in the community under a conditional discharge. He carries diagnoses of schizophrenia and a cannabis-related substance use disorder, and the board continues to consider him a notable threat to public safety.
His psychiatrist reported that Brazier’s psychotic symptoms are presently stable and that he adheres to medication, yet he has restarted modest cannabis use and maintains that it does not affect his condition. The medical team remains uneasy about his cannabis consumption, citing it as a clear risk factor in his earlier offenses, and recommends close monitoring to prevent any escalation.
Why it matters
The decision changes how closely a high-risk individual is supervised, raising questions about public safety and cannabis use in mental illness.
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