For Immediate Release
Contact: Kim Weiss or Gary Seidler
(800) 851-9100 ex. 212 or [email protected]
MARIJUANA: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Expert Panel Discusses Costs & Benefits of Decriminalization and Legislation of Pot
In Newport Beach on October 20th
NEWPORT BEACH, CA — With a growing acceptance of marijuana use in the United States and more
states either decriminalizing or legalizing its use, the addictions community will be faced with a growing
number of use and treatment issues.
An expert panel, open to the public, will assemble Oct 29, during the 6th Western Conference on
Behavioral Health and Addictive Disorders (http://bit.ly/1MwFFJe), to discuss the costs and benefits of
decriminalization and legalization of cannabis, including medical marijuana.
Panel moderator, Stephen Sideroff, PhD., Professor, Department of Psychiatry/Behavioral Health at
UCLA, says “public policy participants and treatment professionals must have all the necessary unbiased
information and guidelines to deal with this massive approaching public and personal issue in order to
make the best choices”.
Some of the important issues to be considered include — addiction risk, child protection, product
potency, and balancing the risks with the potential medical benefits of marijuana, and how addiction
professionals can get their message across, in the face of commercialization and its powerful marketing.
Dr David Smith, founder and medical director of Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic, will present a
brief historical 60-year addiction medicine perspective and what always holds true, based on
his extensive professional experience in which he has lived through all phases of the public
dialogue.
Ben Cort will present a contemporary perspective based on his experience in Colorado
as a recovering addict, parent and treatment provider. He wIll discuss the growing
commercialization, accompanying industry “spin”, and the “somewhat muddled”
media coverage. “Let’s go past the headlines and talking points around “legalized
marijuana” and look at the reality of what commercialized THC really looks like from
the street view in Colorado.”
Addiction treatment expert, Cardwell Nuckols will address the pharmacological effects of
cannabinoids and provide an update on current research into the effectiveness of cannabinoids
in the treatment of the numerous diseases and disorders it has been recommended for.
Pete Nielsen, newly-appointed executive director of The California Consortium of Addiction
Programs and Professionals, will focus on increasing treatment needs in California.
Jennifer Golick, LMFT, Clinical Director of Muirwood Adolescence and Family Services,
Petaluna, CA, will discuss the challenges of treating adolescence for cannabis dependence,
the need for early intervention and the need to shift the current paradigm of assessing and
treating adolescents with an adult model.
For more information, and to attend (10/29, 7:00-9:00 p.m.)
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel, 900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
CONTACT: Kim Weiss or Gary Seidler (US Journal Training)