Cannabis Pharmacology, Teen Neurochemistry: The Science of Risk
Presenter: Erik Messamore, MD, PhD
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM mountain (12:00 PM to 1:00 PM eastern) with Q&A to follow.
Cost: FREE using code FREE26 or $39 for 1 CE credit. Johnny’s Ambassadors is a NAADAC certified provider. To receive the CE credit, you must watch the watch the LIVE session.
Recording: Everyone who registers (free or paid) will automatically receive the recording as well. No CE credit will be given for watching the recording.
Description
This talk explains why adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to the neurochemical effects of modern cannabis. We begin with a clear, accessible overview of THC pharmacology — including its effects on some of the brain’s most important neurotransmitter systems and its lesser-known potential to disrupt the brain’s inflammatory defenses. Attendees will learn how these actions can amplify vulnerability to depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, addiction, and cognitive impairment, particularly in adolescents whose brains are still shaping the circuits responsible for judgment, emotion regulation, and problem-solving.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the pharmacology of THC, including its effects on major neurotransmitter systems (glutamate, GABA, dopamine, serotonin) and neuroinflammatory pathways.
- Explain how THC’s pharmacological actions contribute to increased risk for depression, anxiety, psychosis, addiction, and cognitive impairment.
- Identify developmental features of adolescence that heighten vulnerability to the adverse neurochemical effects of cannabis.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Erik Messamore is a psychiatrist and pharmacologist who serves as Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He is the author of Psychosis Care in Primary Care, a clinician’s handbook designed to support early identification, medical workup, and treatment of psychosis in general medical settings.
Dr. Messamore teaches medical students and psychiatry residents, and he is the course director for an integrated second-year medical school course covering psychiatry, neurology, dermatology, and infectious disease. His clinical work and lectures often focus on improving outcomes in first episode psychosis, with particular emphasis on minimizing harm from antipsychotic medications. He has lectured nationally on weight gain prevention strategies, mental health risks from cannabis, and logic-based care.
Questions?
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