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Cannabis and Mental Health

Friday, April 11th, 2025   10:00 AM EDT -1:00 PM EDT
Amar Ghelani PhD, MSW, RSW
$59.99

This presentation will help participants understand how cannabis affects mental health and why people with mental health difficulties use this drug. We will explore options for supporting cannabis users in social service settings.

Cannabis is more available across North America than ever before and there are many misconceptions about the effects of this drug on mental health. Participants will receive an overview of the research examining the relation between cannabis and stress, trauma, common health difficulties, and a variety of mental health concerns.

This overview will lead into material on clinical assessment, education, treatment, and harm reduction strategies with cannabis consumers. Material will cover topics including the effects of cannabis use on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, pain, anger, psychosis, and more. There will be implications for engagement, education, applying evidence-informed therapies for cannabis use disorder, and relapse prevention.

About the Presenter

Dr. Amar Ghelani is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) with the University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social work and Instructor with the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Social Work Professional Development program. He is also a registered social worker with over 18 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and groups with complex mental health concerns in outpatient, addiction treatment, prison, shelter, school, mobile crisis, and healthcare settings. He has specialized training in CBT, DBT, and suicide intervention, as well as a certificate in trauma counseling.

Dr. Ghelani is passionate about teaching professionals in the mental health field and offers professional development workshops for clinicians in Canada, the United States and Europe. His research focuses on substance use (particularly cannabis use), psychosis, trauma, crisis intervention, harm reduction, recovery, and simulation-based education. He has published studies and articles in leading academic journals, including Clinical Social Work, Early Intervention in Psychiatry, Psychosis, and Health and Social Work. He has also received awards and grants for his research, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship. 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the psychosocial effects of THC and CBD based cannabis.
  2. Analyze the relationship between cannabis and common health and psychological problems.
  3. Describe evidence-informed treatment and harm reduction approaches with this group.

Agenda:

Part one - 80 minutes

Introduction: what do you want to learn?

What is cannabis? Indica, Sativa, Hybrids and strain names

THC vs CBD

THC: Effects

Use, abuse, dependence, and disorder

CBD: Effects

CBD: safety profile, potential therapeutic uses

Products available in a legal market

Breakout room discussion: Why do people use cannabis? (7 minutes)

Trauma and Cannabis use: Research review

Cannabis, stress, and anxiety

Cannabis, anger and aggression

Cannabis and sleep disturbance

Cannabis and physical pain management

Cannabis and depression

Cannabis and suicidal ideation

Cannabis and psychosis

Cannabis, diversity and anti-oppressive practice

Break - 20 minutes

Part 2 - 80 minutes

Common reasons for cannabis users accessing mental health services

Barriers to accessing services: denial, discrimination, perceptions of harmlessness, stigma, racism

Importance of engagement

Breakout rooms: What would you want to know about a cannabis user in a mental health setting? What questions would you ask? (7 minutes)

Assessment: clinically validated assessment tools

Assessment: unstructured methods to gather essential information

Education: what people with cannabis related problems need to know

Difficulties in treatment: low rates of abstinence

Treating concurrent trauma, mental health, and cannabis use disorders

Treating cannabis related psychosis – role of medication

Stages of change and Motivational interviewing

Evidence based treatments: CBT, DBT, Contingency Management, Motivational Enhancement

Harm reduction strategies

Relapse prevention

Conclusion

This workshop offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.
  • CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
    CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.