UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will host a webinar on March 28 with speaker Jason Kilmer regarding the impacts of cannabis on sleep, attention, memory and anxiety.
“Over the last decade, the role of cannabis has changed in our culture,” said Lori Strayer, alcohol and other drug coordinator for CAPS. “Along with legal changes and medical use, the drug itself has changed a lot. It can now be ingested in several different ways beyond smoking the plant material, and weed has dramatically increased in potency. Bringing in an expert in the field so our students can ask direct questions seemed like a great idea given all the recent changes.”
Jason Kilmer is an adjunct associate professor in psychology and an associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington. He has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
Kilmer serves as an investigator on several studies evaluating prevention and intervention efforts for alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use by college students. He has also provided presentations about substance use to college student groups at over 125 campuses across the country throughout his career.
The webinar will take place over Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. on March 28. Pre-registration is not required.
Kilmer will discuss the physical and mental impacts of cannabis from a scientific perspective, address common misconceptions about the drug and answer audience questions during a Q&A.
“We’ve heard a lot of curiosity about using cannabis for managing different concerns, like sleep, focus, mood and anxiety,” said Stephanie Stama, assistant director of community education and outreach for CAPS. “Dr. Kilmer is an expert in this area and can help us better understand the connections between cannabis and mental health.”
Instructors who want to offer extra credit for attendance at the webinar can encourage their students to stay until the end of the event. Upon conclusion of the webinar, students will be given the opportunity to record their attendance if they so choose. Instructors can reach out to ccaps@psu.edu to request the list of attendees.
The Zoom link, additional details, and updates on the webinar can be found on the Penn State Engagement App.