Cannabis Prevention Training & Technical Assistance Services

 

New England has seen rapid and numerous changes in cannabis policy.  All six states have medical cannabis laws.  Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have passed laws legalizing adult-use cannabis, creating commercial cannabis industries in each of those states. This creates a new context in which to plan, implement, and evaluate cannabis prevention programs, strategies, and initiatives.  

How do we create and implement effective cannabis prevention strategies, particularly for youth and young adults, in this new environment?

The New England PTTC has developed a full array of training and technical assistance services and products in the area of cannabis science, policy, and prevention.  This includes live and recorded webinars, technical assistance tools, and expert trainers available for virtual and face-to-face trainings in your community.  Here is what we have available to bring to your state, organization, or community:

 


Available Virtual and In-Person Trainings to bring to your state or community

 

If you are interested in bringing any of these trainings to your state, community, or prevention coalition, please contact New England PTTC Co-Director, Erin Burnett at [email protected]

 

The Layers of Cannabis Policies and Where Prevention Fits In

 

Presenter: Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, PS-C - Director, New England PTTC

 

This training provides a focus on cannabis policy and how it impacts, and should inform, how we plan, implement, and evaluate our cannabis prevention strategies.

 

Participants will learn the basic policy literacy skills that are necessary to be aware of and understand the cannabis policies that are passed in your state and communities, including how to inventory those componenents of cannabis legalization policies that impact the risk and protective factors we have prioritized in our prevention work.  The training examines the different layers of policy: federal, state, municipal, and organizational, and how we can have impact through prevention.  Finally, participants will see examples of how we can identify intervening variables and local conditions impacted by state legalization policies, and how we use the strategic prevention framework, and the Seven Strategies of Community Change, to map out prevention strategies to address them.  

 

This training can be offered in multiple lengths from 1 to 1 1/2 hours, to a more immersive 3-hour version that includes some small group activities and practice.  

 

Intended Audience: The ideal audience for this training are state and community prevention organizations and the prevention professionals responsible for implementing prevention programs and strategies in their communities. This can include coalition members, sector representatives and partners, volunteer staff, and other key partners, stakeholders, and collaborators.  This training can also be appropriate for the broader public, with interest in the role of cannabis policies in impacting and shaping conditions in their communities.

 


Recorded Webinars on Cannabis

 

Today’s Cannabis: Stronger, More Edibles, Confusing Information about Driving

 

Presenter: Dr. Karen Simone, Director Northern New England Poison Center

Dr. Karen Simone will provide an overview of factual information about today’s cannabis products. They are stronger, often times contain no or less CBD in relationship to THC, and are vastly available in edible and other forms. Information is plentiful, while facts are difficult to extract with confidence. People using cannabis are confused regarding the safety of driving. CBD is promoted as a cure for everything and anything. Learn what is known and unknown.

Continuing Education Credits Available: 1.0 Hour Certificate of Completion Available

IC & RC Prevention Domains: Domain 6 - Professional Growth & Responsibility

Link to Register and Begin Course: https://healtheknowledge.org/course/index.php?categoryid=89#NEPTTC-Todays-Marijuana

 

The Evolution of State Cannabis Policies: Where Prevention Fits In

 

Presenter: Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, PS-C, Director, New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center

Cannabis laws and policies are rapidly changing in states. Various decriminalization, medical cannabis, and adult-use cannabis policies are being debated and moving through state legislatures and ballot boxes. Amid all of this change, where does prevention fit in? This course shows participants how these policies can evolve, the implications for public health and safety, and how and where prevention fits in. Participants will learn from a presenter with hands-on experience both in prevention and shaping cannabis policies. Additionally, participants will learn about the cannabis prevention training and technical assistance services from the NewEngland PTTC.

Continuing Education Credits Available: 1.0 Hour Certificate of Completion Available

IC & RC Prevention Domains: Domain 6 - Professional Growth & Responsibility

Link to Register and Begin Course: https://healtheknowledge.org/course/index.php?categoryid=101

 


Technical Assistance Tools and Resources

 

Cannabis Prevention Education Toolkit

 

The New England PTTC's Director, Scott Gagnon, chairs the nationwide PTTC Network Cannabis Risk Work Group. The mission of the PTTC Network Cannabis Risk Work Group is to develop training and technical assistance tools, products, and service, related specifically to cannabis risk education and prevention, that can be deployed across the nation. This fall, the work group developed and released a new toolkit to provide the prevention workforce with researched tools to use in community cannabis prevention and education efforts. 

 

Recorded Webinar: PTTC Cannabis Education Toolkit Launch & Listening Session:

In this recorded webinar, participants will receive a detailed overview of each of the four products in the toolkit. The following will be covered in the webinar:

  • Description of each of the four tools,
  • Goals and intended uses for each product,
  • Tips and pointers for implementation,  
  • Questions or comments from webinar participants.

Link to view the recorded webinar (recorded on January 6, 2020). No continuing education is available. 

 

Facts Vs Myths Information Sheet:

This information sheet covers 7 common myths or misunderstandings as related to cannabis. These include myths on addiction, impairment, and other health effects. Each of the 7 myths is countered with the current evidence, including citations. The goal is to provide a tool for prevention providers to help respond to and educate the public around these common myths. 
 

Use: Tool for use in prevention messaging and education to help dispel misconceptions that may persist in the community around cannabis. This tool may be also useful as a handout at prevention education events.

Link to download | en español | em português

 

Cannabis Glossary – Terms by Topic

There are many terms, slang words, and other nomenclatures related to cannabis. This glossary will help prevention professionals be more familiar with these terms, to aid in competency when discussing these topics. Categories include plant anatomy, slang terms, terms related to cannabis products, cannabinoids, and other terms.

Use: Reference guide for prevention providers to familiarize themselves with the many terms related to cannabis.

Link to download

 

Cannabis Science Education Slide Banks

Two PowerPoint slide banks for prevention professionals to use in cannabis prevention and education work in their communities. The purpose of these slide banks is to provide prevention providers with researched and vetted tools they can feel confident in using in their cannabis prevention presentations.

 

  • “Cannabis and the Brain” focuses on the pharmacology of cannabis and how it effects the brain. Link to download

  • “The Varied Forms, Potency, and Health Effects of Today’s Cannabis” covers the many forms of cannabis products, as well as trends in potency, and known health impacts. Link to download

 

Use: You can provide one or both of these slide banks as a stand-alone presentations or integrate them into a presentation including local data, trends, and strategies for cannabis prevention. Each slide bank includes presenter notes to guide the speaker on presenting the information contained in the slides.  The slide banks also include the references to all of the literature used to source the information presented.

 

NOTE: Please do not alter any of the slides. If you need additional information, please contact the New England PTTC: [email protected]  or (207) 626-3615

 


Self-paced Microlearning Toolkit: Cannabis Prevention 101 

Brush up on your cannabis knowledge with this series of short lessons on cannabis and prevention! Each lesson consists of a 5-10 minute video followed by a brief quiz. Topics include the basic differences between THC, CBD and hemp, how drug screening and confirmation for cannabis works, the effects of cannabis consumption on road safety, and the role of prevention in cannabis policy decisions. Learn more. 

 

Do you have a specific training or t/a need for cannabis prevention in your state or community?  We want to know!  E-mail us at [email protected]  

 

 

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