The Cannabis Primer: What Mental Health and Education Professionals Need to Know

Presented by Zachary Walsh, Ph.D.

Friday, May 29, 2020  |  Calgary, ab

Date & Location

Important Notice

Due to COVID-19 this event is now being offered online. This change has been made to ensure a safe learning environment for all participants. The course is available to watch starting May 27, 2020 until May 1, 2021. Participants can watch, pause and re-watch sessions to fit their at home learning needs. If you have registered for an upcoming workshop and would like to switch to this online course, or for online course inquiries please email webinars@jackhirose.com to be transferred at no additional cost.

More Information

Cannabis is already part of the lives of many Canadians, and all health professionals and educators work with people who use cannabis or are cannabis-curious.

Spend a day learning: What is THC? CBD ? Sativa? Indica? The many combinations? What’s recreational? What’s medical? Methods of delivery? When is it a problem? What’s for sale at the dispensary, the clinic or on the street? What are the questions to ask clients? What are the risks and benefits for anxiety, depression, trauma & psychosis?… and a lot more.

Understanding the new cannabis landscape will help you to successfully engage with clients and students; to know how to question and explore cannabis use. This workshop will help you into leading edge research and lots of information you never learned in school.

Zach Walsh is a Canadian psychologist and a leader in the field of cannabis and mental health.

Drawing from his own research, clinical experience and the latest empirical literature, he will discuss all you need to know about cannabis use in relation to mental health, cognition and well-being. You will learn about the risks and benefits for common mental health disorders, how cannabis use affects brain functioning as well as how to assess when cannabis use is a potential problem and more.

Who Should Attend

Education and Clinical Professionals: K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors/Psychologists, Learning Assistance/ Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers. All other professionals who support students including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers, and Early Childhood Educators.

Parents, Caregiver, Foster Parents, Grandparents, and Extended Family raising a child.

Agenda

• Cannabis science 101 – cannabis history, constituents, and products. Introduction to the endocannabinoid system
• Morning Break
• Medical cannabis in Canada –  the hows and whys of the medical program in Canada, overview of patients experiences, cannabis for pain
• Lunch
• Cannabis and mental health  – PTSD, anxiety, depression, addiction, psychosis and problematic use
• Afternoon Break
• Cannabis research – PTSD case study, whats ongoing & whats next
• Mindful cannabis use & wrap up questions

Learning Objectives

• Cannabis pharmacology – what do we know about THC, CBD and other active ingredients
• The risks and benefits for anxiety, depression, trauma and psychosis
• Cannabis and cognitive functioning from adolescence to old age
• Cannabis, addiction and public health
• How to assess when cannabis use is a problem
• Guidelines for positive cannabis use.

Your Presenter

Zachary Walsh, Ph.D.

Zachary Walsh, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Psychology and Director of the Therapeutic, Recreational and Problematic Substance Use lab at UBC. Having completed a clinical internship and a research fellowship at the Brown University Centre for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Dr. Walsh is a registered clinical psychologist who has published and presented internationally on issues related to cannabis and mental health. His research has been supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Health Canada, BC Interior Health Authority, the Peter Wall Endowment, and the American Psychological Association. He is currently the Principal Investigator for several cannabis use studies, including a clinical trial of cannabis for PTSD.

 

Testimonials

“Excellent workshop! I would highly recommend this to any of my colleagues. I work in a family health team and would love if a similar workshop was targeted to family physicians, as they work directly with patients and yet often express they have a lack of knowledge about cannabis.” 

“Very helpful. Dr Walsh is a dynamic speaker -very knowledgeable. Kept my attention the entire day!”

“It was clear that Zach is well informed and also passionate about this subject matter, as well as issues of human rights and social justice, very holistic approach.”

“I enjoyed it and learned a lot. I have already used some of the info during case conferences and in supervision.”

Registration & Fees