We are delighted to invite you to Chacruna’s upcoming Community Forum, which will explore the evolving landscape of cannabis use in today’s society. This discussion will challenge outdated models of cannabis prohibition and treatment, and instead foster nuanced, safety-based conversations about mindful and moderate consumption. How can we approach cannabis more like exercise - acknowledging both its benefits and its risks? In what ways has prohibition-driven “all or nothing” thinking prevented realistic dialogues about cannabis use? With a growing array of products and easier access than ever before, how can American adults find balance and moderation amidst the marketing and normalization of consumption? Furthermore, how do new product forms like edibles and vape pens, and the increasing prevalence of multiple daily use, shape our relationships with cannabis? We will also discuss how traditional substance use treatment models often fall short for cannabis users, and why new approaches - rooted in harm reduction and the recognition that cannabis can have real benefits - are essential for addressing Cannabis Use Disorder without erasing the positive aspects of cannabis use. Join us as we hear from Amanda Reiman, a longtime researcher, educator - holding a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley - and founder of Personal Plants, an educational platform dedicated to cultivating healthy, balanced relationships with cannabis. Also joining us is Owen Wheeler, a Master’s student in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation at UW Madison and Chacruna’s Education Program Intern. Let’s come together to rethink the story of cannabis and uncover paths to mindful, moderate use.

What Does Mindful Consumption of Cannabis Look Like?