Cannabis Breakout
Room: Paradise B
Speaker(s): TBD
Presentation:
Objectives:
Slides and Handouts:
Tag: Cannabis
Cannabis Use and the Developing Mind: Effects, Risks, and Mental Health Impact
Room: Paradise B
Speaker(s):
Presentation: Due to the changing attitude towards cannabis, and the increasing decriminalization of non-medical marijuana, cannabis use is at historically high levels among adolescents and young adults – with daily or near daily use continuing to rise. At the same time, perception of risk associated with cannabis use has decreased. Exposing developing brains to cannabis disrupts brain development and behavior, primes the brain for being more susceptible to developing other forms of addiction later in life, and impacts trajectories leading to psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other substance use disorders. Of the various mental health disorders, significant attention has focused on the co-occurrence of cannabis use and psychosis.
Objectives:
- Understand the association between cannabis use during brain development and cognition, emotional functioning, and the risk of developing mental health disorders, particularly psychosis
- Highlight the developmental, acute, and long-term effects of cannabis use
- Raise awareness that regular THC use during brain development is not a benign activity and can impact brain, behavior, and mental health trajectories
Slides and Handouts:
Rebecca Preston, PhD
Dr. Rebecca Preston is the Clinical Lead of the Early Psychosis Care Center. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Hosftra University. Her interests concentrate on stressors and impaired self-regulatory behaviors that both predate and maintain disorders of self-control and co-morbid psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations. With the Early Psychosis Care Center, Rebecca develops trainings and facilitates the implementation of evidence-based practices to prevent the onset of and provide treatment for early psychosis in individuals in Missouri.