The Link Between THC Use & Schizophrenia

with the UAMS Odyssey Clinic

Craig Jones and Emily Waller, from the UAMS Odyssey Clinics, will share the latest findings about the connection between cannabis use and schizophrenia.

This presentation will highlight how cannabis use in the U.S. has evolved in recent years and the potential impact this may have on mental health, with a specific focus on the relationship with psychosis and schizophrenia.

Key objectives

• Trends in use: Describe current cannabis use patterns in the U.S. and how they have shifted over time.
• Cannabis and psychosis: Explain how cannabis use relates to psychotic symptoms and psychotic disorders.
• Cannabis and schizophrenia: Review current research on the link between cannabis use and schizophrenia.
• Risks and public awareness: Summarize the risks of cannabis use and what the public should know.

This event will be livestreamed. Watch it here →

About the presenters

Craig Jones, LCSW, is the Program Manager for the Odyssey Clinic in Little Rock. Prior to this role, he worked as an outpatient therapist in community mental health and at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, often serving individuals with serious mental illness, personality disorders, trauma, and recovery from perpetration and victimization of interpersonal violence. He also has extensive history in working within crisis evaluation and intervention. He holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has been a Licensed Certified Social Worker since 2009. He has also been an adjunct professor at multiple universities, teaching various courses in philosophy and psychology of religion, since 2008.  

Emily Waller, M.D., MPH grew up in Fayetteville, Ark., and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. She went on to attend UAMS where she studied medicine and public health.  Her interest in psychiatry began in high school but was solidified through her research and clinical experiences during medical school. Some of her most meaningful experiences include addiction research in the Women’s Mental Health Program, and exposure to forensics at the Arkansas State Hospital and consult psychiatry at the NIH. She has a particular interest in forensic psychiatry and academic medicine. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with friends and family, and refinishing old furniture.

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