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Hawaii Training: “Ice," Cannabis Use Disorder, and the Opioid Crisis

Description: Upon completion of the presentation, participants will be able to:

  • Identify at least three statistical findings that validate the current surge of opioid, stimulant, and marijuana abuse in the US;
  • List and describe natural brain neurotransmitters that are mimicked or disrupted by the abuse of external substances;
  • Discuss the symptoms of stimulant, opioid, and cannabis use disorder and provide at least four symptoms of their withdrawal syndromes; and
  • Name currently employed and developing treatment strategies for opioid, stimulant, and cannabis dependence.

Though most of our nation’s health has focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and our opioid crisis during the 2020s, abuse and overdose deaths have also increased with methamphetamine (now predominantly in the form of d-methamphetamine base known as “ice”), cocaine, benzodiazepines, and alcohol. Abuse of diverted prescription (oxy and hydrocodone) and illicit opioids (fentanyl and heroin) has recently exploded during the current opioid crisis.

The “Ice Age” of d-isomer meth and cocaine pasta has reemerged. Benzos in combination with opioids has erupted. Alcohol poisoning deaths and problem drinking has increased and a plethora of new psychoactive substances have taken hold in the drug abusing subculture ranging from kratom, synthetic stimulants (“bath salts”), increasingly potent and synthetic cannabinoids (“incense”), psychedelics (salvia), and psychostimulants (“Flakka”, "Benzo Fury”).

Further contributing to the surge in our endemic addiction problems, marijuana has now been legalized in either medical or recreational forms in all but two US states. As a result, cannabis use disorder (CUD) and marijuana-related health, social, and even criminal problems have increased. This presentation will review these current drug abuse trends, their pharmacology, and treatment developments inclusive of developing medication assisted treatment interventions.

Date/Time: Friday, June 4, 2021 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Location: Zoom

Cost: The registration fee for NAADAC members is $35 and the fee for non-NAADAC members is $50.

Certificate: 3 hours ADAD approved.

Registration is closed.

Facilitator: Darryl S. Inaba, PharmD, CATC-V, CADC III, is the Director of Clinical and Behavioral Health Services for the Addictions Recovery Center and Director of Research and Education of CNS Productions in Medford, Oregon. He is an associate Clinical Professor at the University of California in San Francisco, CA, and a Lifetime Fellow at Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc., in San Francisco, CA. Inaba has authored several papers, award winning educational films, and is co-author of Uppers, Downers, All Arounders a text on substance-related and addictive disorders that is used in more than 400 colleges and universities. He has been honored with over 90 individual awards for his work in the areas of prevention and treatment of substance abuse problems.