UMES professor appointed to MD Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council

MARYLAND – Maryland Governor Wes Moore recently announcing 9 appointments to the state’s Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council. This comes as Maryland joins a number of states legalizing adult-use cannabis.

One of those appointees is UMES’ Biological Sciences professor Dr. Madhumi Mitra. Dr. Mitra says they’ll work closely with the Governor and the Maryland Department of Health to mitigate potential risks and safeguard public health.

She adds they’re already looking into ways to address one of their biggest challenges which will be detecting cannabis impairment. “The state needs to invest in drug recognition experts, or DRE’s. Some police officers undergo specialized training to become DRE’s. They’re trained to identify drug impairment including cannabis,” Dr. Mitra said.

Dr. Mitra says they’ll also be working on creating policies for safety standards, educating the public on potential risks, and preventing underage usage.

She also tells 47ABC she’s excited to take on the new role and continue her efforts to make public health a priority in the state.