Marijuana: When the Smoke Clears

Presenter: Dr. Merrill Norton

Description: 

We’ve heard the saying that where there’s smoke there’s fire, but what happens when you take away the fire and replace the smoke with “vapor”? Is it really safe? Can marijuana really have medical benefits? How will vaping and legal marijuana impact individuals and the neighborhoods in which they live? When the Smoke Clears is an in depth presentation that seeks to increase awareness about the evolution of tobacco and marijuana use, how vaping impacts youth and adults, and what can be done to reduce and prevent the harms of vaping and marijuana experienced by both individuals and communities.

 Objectives: 

1. Describe a brief history of ATOD prevention strategies and how vaping has set back years of prevention success

2. Identify how vapes work, the health and other side effects of vaping, and the various ways vapes appeal to youth.

3. Articulate an overview of the evolution of marijuana, its path towards legalization, and its impact on communities

4. Verbalize the difference between medical marijuana, CBD, and recreational marijuana

5. Identify how vaping unites big tobacco and the legal marijuana industries.

6. Explain how lessons learned from tobacco prevention can influence marijuana prevention as well.

Dr. Merrill Norton is an EMMY winning Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy with his specialty areas to include psychopharmacology and addiction pharmacy. He was most recently honored by the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association’s Board of Directors and Certification Board with being bestowed the first Certified Master Addiction Counselor (CMAC) credential in the state. His book, Understanding Substance Use Disorders Pharmacology, has been used to train thousands of mental health professionals nationally and his latest book, and The Pharmacist’s Guide to Opioid Use Disorders was released in December 2018.

Dr. Norton completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. He accomplished a three year addiction medicine fellowship under the direction of Douglas Talbott MD at Ridgeview Institute and has state, national, and international credentials in the treatment of mentally ill/addicted/chronic pain individuals. He has also been a faculty member of the Fairleigh-Dickinson University Postdoctoral Training Program in the Masters of Psychopharmacology, Alliant International University of San Francisco College of Psychology, University of Georgia School of Continuing Education, and Berry College in the areas of Psychopharmacology and Addiction Pharmacy. His areas of specialty in addiction pharmacy are the management of chronic pain in the substance use disordered patient and the neuroscience of substance use disorders.

Since his recent retirement from UGA , Dr. Norton’s primary focus is to provide the latest scientific information to communities, educators, healthcare professionals, prevention specialists, treatment providers, and especially families, on the diseases of substance use disorders.

Credit: 6 Hours

Audience:  Art Therapists, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors, Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, School Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Medical Professionals

Fee: Subject to agency of employement. See below.

Employees of agencies not part of Region 1: Please purchase a Standard $75 Ticket

Employees of Region 1 301 Agencies: Please purchase a Region 1 Employee Ticket (A/OBHS, BHSPC, CCCADA, The Forrester Center, HealthyU, Phoenix Center, Cornerstone, Westview, Gateway, Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center and Anderson/Oconee/Pickens Mental Health) 

Payment options:

         Offline payment (Preferred): 

 Checks made out to BHSA Region 1 and mailed to:

                                      Attn. Stephanie Bentley PO Box 1948 Greenville, SC 29602. 

          Pay online with credit card

 (refunds subject to 2.9% + 0.30 processing fee and will be refunded via check)