LSU Shreveport Offers Medical Cannabis Training for Counselors
LSU Shreveport Continuing Education is offering a new medical cannabis training workshop for counselors on Feb. 2, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This in-person interactive workshop will train counselors and mental health professionals on the latest medical cannabis information so they can guide patients on treatment options and earn eight CRCC professional development hours. “The swift pace of passed Louisiana legislation in 2022 is leaving counselors and other mental health professionals unprepared to support clients who choose to treat with marijuana, making this a priority for education and training,” said Michael D. Becerra, Ph.D., LPC, CPCS, CRC, Assistant Professor – Counseling, Department of Psychology at LSUS. A past study found that allied health trainees lacked sufficient knowledge and were not prepared to counsel patients on medical cannabis. Training counselors and mental health professionals to become educated resources for medial cannabis information can help promote client benefits and knowledge needed to attain health and wellness goals. The workshop and certificate include recorded interviews with local industry leaders and cannabis specialists who will share their experiences. The one-day workshop will cover the following four sections for counselors: the history of cannabis and the war on drugs; medical cannabis science and therapeutic use cannabis law, business and the workplace and case studies and practical applications.