MARIJUANA: The Latest Scientific Findings and Legalization
Legal marijuana is here: In November, California, Massachusetts, and Nevada became the latest states to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing to 28 the number of states that have okayed the drug for medicinal use, recreational use, or both. Even more states have rules that allow certain kinds of cannabis extracts to be used for medical purposes. At the same time that state legalization is increasing, the Trump administration is signaling that it may ramp up enforcement of federal drug laws, even when they come into conflict with state laws allowing recreational marijuana use. State and local governments may find themselves on uncertain legal ground. Meanwhile, policymakers navigating this new landscape are also working largely without the benefit of a solid foundation of scientific evidence on the drug’s risks and benefits. In fact, a new National Academies report describes notable gaps in scientific data on the short- and long-term health effects of marijuana, including proper therapeutic dosing and possible special hazards to vulnerable populations, like pregnant women and children. What do we know about the health impacts of marijuana, and what do we still need to learn? This Forum brings together researchers studying marijuana’s health impacts with policymakers who are working to implement new laws in ways that will benefit and protect public health.
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ENGAGE WITH US:
Send our panelists questions in advance to [email protected]
Tweet us @ForumHSPH #MarijuanaScience
WATCH THE LIVE WEBCAST ON OUR WEBSITE:
https://theforum.sph.harvard.edu/events/marijuana/
on Friday, March 24th, 2017, 12:30-1:30pm ET
We’ll be conducting a live chat on this page during the event: https://theforum.sph.harvard.edu/events/marijuana/
We also will stream live on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Forumhsph/
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EXPERT PARTICIPANTS:
Andrew Freedman
Co-Founder and Partner, Freedman & Koski; former Director of Marijuana Coordination for the State of Colorado
Staci Gruber
Director, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core; Director, Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery, McLean Hospital
Marie McCormick
Professor of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Chair, Committee that published Health Effects of Marijuana: An Evidence Review and Research Agenda
Vaughan Rees
Lecturer on Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Moderated by Ryan Grim, Washington Bureau Chief, The Huffington Post, and an MSNBC contributor
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Part of: The Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn Forums.
Presented jointly with The Huffington Post
Image Credit: iStockphoto.com/gaspr13
