Month: October 2020

Combine the useful with the pleasant? This is what Dr Jutras-Aswad and the University of Montreal are offering by inviting you to an edition of film and conferences on drug addiction. At a cost of 5$, the film conferences allow you to watch a film related to a health theme, which is followed by a conference given by a qualified expert who demystifies the theme of the evening and provides tools practices based on key scenes from the film.

Beautiful Boy, inspired by the memoirs of journalist David Sheff and his son Nic, paints a heartbreaking portrait of a family’s unconditional love and commitment to their son’s grip on drugs and his healing attempts. Following Nic’s many relapses, the Sheff face the harsh reality of drug addiction that can strike at any time. A short introductory lecture on drug addiction and its collateral damage will precede the viewing of the film and then, at the end of the evening, Dr Jutras-Aswad will review the film and discuss with the audience. The activity will be held online from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on October 8th.

Two years after its legalization, cannabis still raises questions and discussions. Although the substance is consumed by a relatively large proportion of the population, the potential dangers it presents to mental health are concerning. Fortunately, more and more specialists are able to answer our questions as knowledge about cannabis grows.

On October 7th, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Dr Didier Jutras-Aswad, director of the CHUM psychiatry department, Jean-Nicolas Proulx, social worker at the CHUM, and a patient partner will discuss mental health and cannabis during the new edition of HumaniSciences. The free activity does not require registration and will be held live on the CRCHUM Facebook page.

Since cannabis legalization in 2018, cannabinoid research has been booming. Cannabidiol (CBD) is attracting a great deal of interest as it is credited with countering the side effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) such as anxiety or psychotic symptoms.

In an editorial published in the scientific journal Addiction, the doctoral candidate, Violaine Mongeau-Pérusse, and the head of our laboratory, Didier Jutras-Aswad, warn against the hasty conclusions drawn from studies supporting the protective effects of CBD.

This is because observational studies conducted do not have the same value as randomized trials and the few trials performed have produced mixed and inconsistent results. In addition, the products tested so far are very different from those found on the market. Before we can comment on the properties of CBD, it is necessary to conduct more robust clinical studies with cannabis products that are the same as those in the recreational market.