NIDA has published a summary of the proceedings of its National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment, and Research, which was held in July 1995 in Arlington, Virginia.
The conference was organized "to provide scientifically based information on marijuana; to dispel commonly held myths surrounding marijuana use; to increase public awareness of the rising trends in marijuana use; and to educate the public about the consequences of marijuana use, especially for young people," noted NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner in his welcoming remarks. More than 550 community prevention activists, educators, drug counselors, civic leaders, advocacy groups, and other concerned citizens from around the country attended the conference.
The information that was disseminated at the conference was intended to educate the drug abuse prevention and treatment communities about research results that they can use in their prevention and treatment efforts. The published summary of the conference proceedings continues that effort by providing information on NIDA-funded research on marijuana and the programs and perspectives of collaborating agencies, which were presented at the conference.
Conference Highlights presents the keynote addresses of Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Donna E. Shalala and former Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Lee P. Brown, who presented the Administration's response to the increase in marijuana use among youth. The summary also includes speeches by Richard Bonnete, president of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Vivian Smith, deputy director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and David Mactas, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, who provided a comprehensive view of prevention and treatment programs that are being conducted to address the marijuana problem.
The publication also includes 28 summaries of the latest research results on marijuana use, including trends, pharmacology, etiology, consequences, prevention, and treatment. In addition, summaries of 14 concurrent workshops include the presentation of relevant programs or projects sponsored by the cooperating agencies of the conference, such as National Families in Action.
This document is available online National Conference in Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment, and Research (PDF, 192KB)