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PCON to sponsor academy plenary on cannabinoids
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The plenary session at this year’s American Academy of Optometry annual meeting will explore the health benefits and risks of cannabinoids, and Primary Care Optometry News will provide partial sponsorship of the event.
The use of marijuana, both as a recreational drug and for medical treatment, is one of today’s most hotly debated topics.
As a front line and entry point health care provider, doctors of optometry often receive questions from patients about cannabinoids regarding ocular side effects, cognitive impairment, developmental effects for teenage use, addictive properties, its potential as a gateway drug and medicinal value for certain diseases.
During the American Academy of Optometry’s 2014 plenary session, “The science of cannabinoids: medical perils and benefits,” three speakers will discuss these issues as well as future directions of research on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a primary ingredient in cannabinoids.
Prakash Nagarkatti, PhD, vice president for research at the University of South Carolina, will provide a broad overview of the cannabinoid system, CB1 and CB2 receptors, and explore potential use as an anti-inflammatory compound and in the treatment of certain cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Staci Gruber, PhD, director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core at McLean Hospital in Boston and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will discuss her research on the impact of marijuana use on brain structure and function.
Allan J. Flach, MD, PharmD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of California in San Francisco, will address cannabinoids in ophthalmology, including toxicology, compassionate use, research specific to ocular effects and therapy, and future potential.
For more information, go to www.aaopt.org.