First Year Seminar 191PHHS09 - FYS-UThrive:MarijuanaLegaliztn

This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring the topic: Marijuana Legalization & Health. The legalization of marijuana is a complex public health topic that includes many potential risks and benefits. We will review the history of marijuana criminalization and the historical precedent for racist drug laws in the US. We will discuss how the legacy of these laws has resulted in a disproportionate criminalization and incarceration of people of color for drug-related offenses and we will explore to what extent the legalization of marijuana addresses this issue. We will explore the pros and cons of legalization and will review the latest data from the state on how it's going and what changes we can expect to see in the future.

First year (Fr or Soph)