"Modern Marijuana: by Cannabis & Drug Policy Experts Ben Cort & Kevin Sabet"
Follow-Up

The "Modern Marijuana: by Cannabis & Drug Policy Experts Ben Cort & Kevin Sabet" webinar had more than 650 registrants and 350 attendees. High interest in the issue of problematic cannabis use and Cannabis Use Disorder underscores the importance of addressing this growing health problem. In this video, Foundry Steamboat CEO, Ben Cort, and Clinical Compliance Director, Jasmine Aranda, address some of the questions asked by webinar attendees during the February 3, 2022 webinar. Foundry Steamboat Treatment Center offers specialized treatment for people experiencing severe Cannabis Use Disorder — a condition that poses specialized mental and physical health problems and treatment challenges.

Increased marijuana use by parents puts children at greater risk for adverse events and may hamper family member recovery.

Reporting by the Society for the Study of Addiction suggests that recreational marijuana legalization leads to more parents and guardians using marijuana at home. The use of any elative substance can lead to its misuse. The chances for substance use disorders in homes with children increases as more parents use marijuana. Substance misuse is considered an adverse childhood event (ACE), a factor that significantly increases risks for problems in later life. Some parents may not know that exposing children to marijuana misuse is deleterious. Many people may think that children can only be negatively impacted by marijuana if they use it themselves.

Foundry Treatment Center CEO Ben Cort, and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Michael Barnes, provide perspectives on marijuana use disorder and its effects on individuals and family systems. Ben Cort is the author of Weed, Inc., a critical account of marijuana commercialization in the US, and a national marijuana policy speaker and educator. Dr. Michael Barnes is an experienced clinician and lecturer with more than forty years of direct care experience who treats patients experiencing problematic substance use, including marijuana use disorder.

In this video, the colleagues break from fly-fishing Colorado’s Yampa River to discuss the study’s findings and relay their experiences with problematic marijuana use in family systems. The discussion suggests that use disorders among parents, whether marijuana or other substances, can prioritize substance availability and use over the needs of children. Other problems arise when substances become connected with family traditions or identity. When families accept and integrate substance use, it can be challenging for members seeking recovery to feel supported and makes it harder for loved ones to assist in their family member’s recovery.

Record overdose deaths in 2020 highlight ongoing challenges in root causes of addiction, public perception, and treatment access.

The US government reported 93,000 overdose deaths in 2020, an increase of 29 percent over 2019. Rates of overdose deaths and so-called deaths of despair, as well as diagnosed cases of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, have been increasing before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is believed that the illness, isolation, financial uncertainty, and other adverse effects of the pandemic exacerbated substance use and mental health problems, the root causes driving these conditions are longstanding.  

FoundryTreatment Center Steamboat CEO Ben Cort, and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Michael Barnes, are behavioral healthcare experts with first-hand knowledge of addiction, stigma, and the challenges of ensuring the availability of high-quality treatment. Through direct treatment experience, work with families, advocacy, and education, the colleagues have developed rounded perspectives on the causes of addictive disorders and the social, cultural, and institutional factors that play roles in these pervasive issues.  

In this video, Ben Cort and Dr. Michael Barnes reflect on the staggering increase in overdose deaths and barriers that must be addressed to reduce the tragic surge.Some of the key themes discussed include broadening our informational and policy focuses from opioids to all substances, reducing stigma even among doctors to ease treatment access and the importance of maintaining and developing the disease model of addiction.

Issues of Cannabis Use Disorder and Finding Treatment

Foundry Steamboat Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Michael Barnes and CEO Ben Cort discuss some of the problems associated with diagnosing cannabis use disorder, sustaining recovery, and finding appropriate care.
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THC products pose risks for the development of substance use disorders and addiction and use factors including potency, format, and ingestion method offer clues to providers attempting to assess client needs. In this segment, Ben Cort and Michael Barnes discuss stigma and old thinking that can make it harder for people to find treatment for cannabis use disorder and steps that behavioral healthcare providers can take to reduce barriers to care. They also address the problem of pervasive marijuana references in our culture that can trigger people recovering from CUD.

The importance of gender-responsive care

Foundry Steamboat Treatment Center utilizes gender-responsive and trauma-informed care to treat adults experiencing substance use and mental health disorders.

When Dr. Michael Barnes became Foundry Steamboat Chief Clinical Officer, transitioning the program to an all-male milieu was one of his first changes.

Colleague and Foundry Steamboat CEO Ben Cort talks with Dr. Barnes about his decision to make Foundry Steamboat a gender-specific program and the importance of gender-responsive care.

Ethical Behavioral Health Marketing

Ethical marketing is a longstanding topic within the field of behavioral healthcare.

Foundry Steamboat CEO, Ben Cort, has long championed the need for ethical marketing practices within the behavioral health field. In addition to shaping the marketing, outreach, and admissions practices at Foundry Steamboat and at other programs, Cort has spearheaded efforts to enroll provider organizations in a consortium dedicated to maintaining ethical practices.
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Accurate provider information is vital to individuals and families seeking treatment. The ability for prospective clients and families to feel a sense of trust in their healthcare providers is especially important when establishing an open and honest therapeutic relationship.

Rural Treatment Access

In this episode, Foundry Steamboat CEO, Ben Cort, and Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Michael Barnes, discuss the issue of accessing behavioral healthcare in rural communities.

Rural communities throughout the country often struggle with a lack of healthcare resources. People living in rural communities seeking treatment for substance use and mental health disorders can face a paucity of providers and stigma that prevents them from getting the help they need.

This video also challenges the widely held misperception that people need to hit a so-called "rock-bottom" before qualifying for treatment. In fact, the sooner people receive treatment, the fewer negative consequences they experience and the better their chances of entering recovery.

Clinical Considerations for Working with LGBTQIA2+ Populations

In this episode, Foundry Steamboat CEO, Ben Cort, and Kristina Padilla M.A., LAADC, ICAADC, CGS, C-SAT Candidate, discuss clinical considerations for working with LBGQIA2+ populations.

Kristina Padilla is a leading LGBTQIA2+ expert and educator. Mx. Padilla recently visited Foundry Treatment Center Steamboat and conducted an informative continuing education presentation. A significant focus of Kristina's work is helping treatment provider organizations ensure that they are creating therapeutic environments and approaches that are welcoming to all people.
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Many practitioners have a basic familiarity concerning LGBTQ clients. However, most are unfamiliar with the distinctions within the trans and non-binary populations. There is a strong need for practitioners to learn the unique attributes of the trans umbrella and how the histories and challenges each segment faces when entering treatment for addiction impacts the way in which each individual may succeed or fail. Clinicians can vastly improve service delivery by understanding that what they may not know what they do not know regarding this special population. With the incredible stress that isolation has created due to the pandemic, young trans people are at a historic risk for addiction and suicidality. It is urgent that practitioners increase their knowledge about this special population.

The Important Role of Wellness Services in Treatment

In this episode, Foundry Steamboat CEO, Ben Cort, and Wellness Director, Cait Mowris discuss the important role wellness activities and services play in a coordinated treatment approach.
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Many behavioral healthcare providers offer a variety of wellness services and activities. However, few clients are helped to understand the vital role that wellness work plays in helping individuals and families during and after the treatment process. The vast range of wellness service options allows providers to tailor activities to the needs and abilities of clients. Increased physical health and activity, body positivity, improved sleep hygiene, nutritional eating habits, camaraderie, and the development of beneficial mindfulness practices are some of the results of regular wellness that coincide with holistic clinical goals.

At Foundry Steamboat, integrating wellness and clinical services addresses physical and mental health, develops lasting skills, supports self-care, and helps clients find new ways to recreate with friends and families. Guided and purposeful wellness practices used during treatment can initiate life-long behaviors that improve recovery resilience, support overall health and wellbeing, and form positive relationships.

Hiring and Retaining Behavioral Healthcare Professionals

Behavioral Healthcare is an especially challenging career choice, though one that is also highly rewarding. As the demand for mental health and substance use disorder treatment greatly outstrips the supply of qualified workers, provider organizations are well advised to foster environments and follow practices that attract and retain these talented employees. In this interview, Foundry Steamboat CEO Ben Cort discusses organizational practices conducive to maintaining a talented treatment team with expert Jay Voigt, a principal consultant at Human Capital.

Expanding Treatment Access in Organized Labor

Foundry Steamboat CEO, Ben Cort, interviews organized labor leader, Chris Carlough, about ways of helping labor organizations make it easier for members to talk about problems and seek treatment without traditional stigma. Fear of job loss and worry about being labeled or alienated prevent many people from acknowledging that they experience mental health and substance use problems or getting help. Construction workers, among other trades, have some of the highest rates of substance use and suicide.

In this discussion, Chris Carlough discusses some of the ways that labor leaders and managers can instill a culture that encourages people to feel comfortable asking for help and finding appropriate EAP and treatment provider partners to ease the process of getting effective care for organized labor members.

The Role of Spirituality in Recovery

For many people, spirituality can play a vital role in helping people find recovery. However, many people do not understand spirituality and how it can bolster treatment and support recovery-supportive lives. In this video, Foundry Steamboat CEO Ben Cort and Chief Clinical Officer Michael Barnes describe the differences between religion and spirituality and how spirituality can energize people to focus on positive goals, including recovery.

An important part of holistic treatment can be helping people understand the many support group options offering religious and agnostic pathways to finding and strengthening one's spiritual aspect as a means of empowering wellness and aspirations.