Hilary Black (she/her)

Hilary Blackis a cis-gendered white settler woman living as a guest on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, Tl’elhum or ĆU,ÁÁN, on Salt Spring Island. Committed to advancing social and health justice through harm reduction and community-driven change, she has dedicated over 30 years to promoting health equity, transforming access to medical cannabis, and advocating for marginalized communities.

In 1997, she founded Canada’s first medical cannabis organization, the BC Compassion Club, making a significant impact on the legal cannabis landscape. Through decades of work in patient advocacy, education, communication, government and public relations, and capacity building, she helped shift the course of cannabis law in Canada. She developed a community-centered model that prioritized patient rights and included a wellness center offering subsidized healthcare services.

Hilary later served as the Chief Advocacy Officer and became the first woman to join the C-suite at Canopy Growth Corporation. There, she led the industry's first comprehensive ESG report and championed DEI, social justice, and social impact initiatives, working to integrate these values into corporate practices. She also established the first cannabis professorship at the University of British Columbia to explore cannabis as a harm reduction tool in response to toxic drug poisoning deaths.

Throughout her career, Hilary has focused on policy reform, community engagement, and advancing health justice – working to dismantle systemic barriers and promote community-led solutions for those facing health challenges.

She now advises companies on developing business strategies grounded in social impact.