Cannabis and Public Health: New and Persisting Challenges for Policymakers
A live webinar titled, "Cannabis and Public Health: New and Persisting Challenges for Policymakers" was hosted by UC Center Sacramento and co-sponsored by TRDRP on November 12, 2020.
Cannabis legalization in California has raised a number of important policy questions. In this panel presentation moderated by TRDRP Director Tracy Richmond McKnight, UC experts will address cannabis policy from three perspectives. First, Matthew Springer (UCSF) will provide an update on the science of second-hand marijuana smoke, the likely health effects, and how policymakers might respond. Then Thomas Marcotte, a cognitive psychologist at UCSD, will discuss what is known about the effects of cannabis on driving impairment, including how new ways of detecting and quantifying impairment may be able to keep our streets and highways safer. Finally, Pamela Ling (UCSF), will draw on her long career researching tobacco use among young adults to describe the co-mingling of cannabis and tobacco issues and the resulting impact on both tobacco and cannabis regulation. Following brief presentations by the three speakers, Dr. McKnight will lead a discussion of intersecting topics, followed by an open question and answer session with the audience.
The recording of the event is available here.
Speaker slide presentations:
- Dr. Matthew Springer, Professor, Medicine, UC San Francisco - "Marijuana Secondhand Smoke: Health and Policy Implications"
- Dr. Thomas Marcotte, Professor, Psychiatry, UC San Diego - "The Challenge of Cannabis-Impaired Driving"
- Dr. Pamela Ling, Professor, Medicine, UC San Francisco - "The Cannabis Tobacco Policy Nexus”
