13 days ago

Understanding the Impacts of Adolescent THC Exposure on Mental Health Risk

Featured experts: Dr. Steven Laviolette
ORIGINAL WEBINAR: Friday, September 19, 2025

Description 
Dr. Laviolette’s Laboratory is focused on unraveling the mysteries of the emotional brain. Recently, Dr. Laviolette’s team has been examining how specific phytochemical constituents of cannabis, such as THC and cannabidiol, can differentially control brain pathways related to emotional processing, memory formation and cognitive dysregulation present in various neuropsychiatric disorders.

Speaker Bio 
Dr. Laviolette is the recipient of numerous national and international research awards, including, a C.I.H.R. New Investigator Fellowship, an Early Researcher Award from the Province of Ontario, the Young Investigator Award from N.A.R.S.A.D, a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation, the Leader’s Opportunity Fund Award from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and a Faculty Scholar’s Award from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Laviolette currently serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Drug Free Kids Canada, is a member of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran’s Health Research and is the former Chair of the Review Committee for the Ontario Mental Health Foundation.

Learning Objectives
• Gain an understanding of how exposure to high-potency cannabis during adolescent brain development can impact specific brain areas linked to psychiatric risk.
• Learn why the adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to the pathological impacts of THC and how this may differ between the male vs. female brain.
• Learn how adolescent THC exposure can lead to inflammatory and oxidative stress reactions in the brain and how anti-oxidants may work to reverse the negative impacts of THC exposure.

Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at [email protected]