Educators get tips on discussing cannabis risks with students

Minnesota schools are starting to implement new requirements for cannabis education. On Monday, educators are getting a crash course at a summit in St. Paul on how to talk to students about the risks.

This is the third year for the summit, but the timing is especially important as new requirements take effect this school year. Organizers say the goal isn't just ot talk about cannabis use, but to make sure people having conversations with kids feel equipped to do so.

The summit is bringing together national and local experts to talk about youth cannabis use and prevention, including a Stanford researcher who is sharing a free cannabis curriculum for schools. About 300 educators, parents and community leaders are taking part in the event.

The focus is to give schools accurate, up-to-date information as they implement education requirements, covering everything from the drug's effects on brain development to its mental and physical health risks.

With cannabis more accessible, organizers say it's important that young people understand the risks, and that educators have the tools to have those conversations.

"I think for them to feel more comfortable and confident. That's the main thing," Kevin Doyle, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, said. "If people are going to be either informally engaging in conversations with students or more formally because of the educational requirements in Minnesota, who's training them to do that? Who better than Hazelden and Betty Ford in our graduate school to make them feel prepared?"

Hazelden Betty Ford says it's seeing more and more teens seek treatment for cannabis abuse.

Organizers say they want students and young people to make informed decisions rather than relying on what they hear from friends or find online.

The summit wraps up on Monday afternoon.