Ethical implications of marijuana legalization topic of colloquy

National experts will discuss the ethical implications of legalizing marijuana for medical and non-medical use during a presentation at the next DeVos Medical Ethics Colloquy, presented by Grand Valley State University. 

"Is American Going to Pot?" will take place March 14 at 6 p.m. at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in Grand Rapids. The event is free and open to the public; registration is required at www.gvsu.edu/colloquy. A live webcast will be available at http://gvsu.edu/s/04R.

Presenters are Kevin Hill, director of Substance Abuse Consultation Services for the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, and Yasmin Hurd, Ward-Coleman Chair of Translational Neuroscience and director of the Center for Addictive Disorders at Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System in New York. Hill will speak in favor of the legalization of marijuana and Hurd will address the negative aspects of its legalization. 

Hill is a leading expert on the topic of marijuana addiction. He has spoken nationally and serves as an expert on the topics of marijuana policy and treatment. His research focuses on medications and behavioral interventions that might improve available treatments for those who want to stop smoking marijuana or cigarettes. 

Hurd is an internationally renowned neuroscientist whose research examines the neurobiology of drug abuse and related psychiatric disorders. In her role at Mount Sinai, she leads a center that covers one of the largest addiction populations in the U.S. She is also a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York. 

The event will be moderated by Corey Waller, chief medical officer for Spectrum Health Medical Group Center for Integrative Medicine. Waller is an addiction, pain and emergency medicine specialist. 

Jean Nagelkerk, vice provost for Health at Grand Valley, said the topic was selected because of active discussions taking place in state legislatures across the country and the national media attention it has received. 

About the DeVos Medical Ethics Colloquy

The colloquy series takes place twice a year, once in the fall and winter. It was established in 2005 by Richard and Helen DeVos in response to a need for a forum where topics of medical and ethical significance could be discussed. Grand Valley became the host of this biannual medical ethics speaker series in June 2015, thanks to a gift from the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation. 

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/colloquy.