Impact of cannabis use during pregnancy focus of next UK Cannabis Center seminar

The University of Kentucky Cannabis Center is sponsoring a seminar series featuring national and international experts on cannabis science. This series will give UK students, faculty and the general public the chance to hear cutting-edge cannabinoid science across a wide variety of specialties (medicine, pharmacology, public health, impaired driving science, agriculture, legal and social justice).   

The center, based in the UK College of Medicine’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR), conducts research on the health effects of cannabis, including its risks and benefits when used to treat certain medical conditions. 

The next seminar will highlight the work of Kelly Young-Wolff, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. She is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, a consulting assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and a professor at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. 

Young-Wolff’s research focuses on substance use, focusing specifically on cannabis use among pregnant persons and on the impact of changes in local, state and national policy. 

“We are honored for Dr. Young-Wolff to share her scientific expertise with our research community here at UK,” said Shanna Babalonis, Ph.D., UK Cannabis Center director. “As the cannabis landscape continues to change in Kentucky and the country, it is critically important to have valuable insights on beneficial health effects and associated risks. We look forward to learning more about Dr. Young-Wolff’s contributions to this field and to better understand the impact of prenatal exposure to cannabis.” 

Young-Wolff will present “Cannabis Use During Pregnancy: Research from Policy to Practice.”  

The seminar will be held via Zoom on Monday, Feb. 26 from 2-3 p.m. EST. Anyone is welcome to attend. You can register online here.