Survey: Perceptions of college administrators on student marijuana use

The first-ever national survey of college administrators on their perceptions related to student marijuana use will be released at a forum Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the University of Maryland.

The event - Substance Use On College Campuses: New Approaches to a Perennial Problem - is open to the media and will also be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing at www.wirestream.tv/customer/studiobdc/2017/10-17/.

The new poll asked nearly 750 college health, counseling and student affairs professionals what they are seeing with regard to marijuana use patterns, prevalence and problems; how well their campuses are responding to shifting and varied attitudes about the drug; and what barriers may get in the way of addressing related issues. In light of new state laws that have made marijuana more accessible, the survey also explored student perceptions of the health risks associated with marijuana.

It will be released at Tuesday's event, where national leaders in higher education, policymaking and substance use prevention and treatment will convene to discuss the latest trends, challenges and innovations in preventing and addressing substance use on America's college campuses.

Hosted by the Mary Christie Foundation, the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy and the University of Maryland School of Public Health, the event will be moderated by New York Times best-selling author William Moyers and feature a panel of five university presidents, several notable speakers and the new poll results. Attendees will include a variety of university officials who will leave with new information, best practices and innovative solutions to help them prevent and address substance use problems on their own campuses.

The survey was sponsored by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and The Mary Christie Foundation and distributed with the help of the National Association of System Heads (NASH). It was conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.

Members of the media are welcome to attend this event or watch the livestream. It will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET in the Colony Ballroom at the University of Maryland's Adele H. Stamp Student Union (3972 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742). Interviews can also be facilitated with event participants before, during or after the event.