Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and an addiction psychiatrist, will discuss cannabis and its impact on the brain in a special Instagram Live session June 10, at 12:00 pm ET, as part of “Gathering the Pieces,” a series of live events that will engage the Black and Queer Communities to discuss themes showcased in the groundbreaking new HBO series I MAY DESTROY YOU. The sessions will focus on dating, friendships, relationships, sexual wellness and freedom, trauma and therapy, self-love and self-care.
Jordan will appear with Mary Pryor, a media expert and founder of Cannaclusive, which supports diversity, inclusion and education in the cannabis industry. Jordan and Pryor will talk for about 30 minutes then answer questions from Instagram followers.
Their joint appearance follows the June 7 premiere of HBO’s new half-hour series I MAY DESTROY YOU, executive produced, written by and starring Michaela Coel. Set in London, the series follows Arabella Essiuedu (Michaela Coel) – easily distracted, non-committal and carefree – who finds herself feted as the ‘voice of her generation,’ with an agent, a book commission and a helluva lot of pressure. After being sexually assaulted in a nightclub, her life changes irreversibly and Arabella is forced to reassess everything: her career, her friends, even her family. As Arabella struggles to come to terms with what has happened, she begins a journey of self-discovery.
Jordan, who works with the minority community to increase access to addiction services, said she will talk about how the brain and body reacts to cannabis use, who is at risk, and what the future of cannabis regulation could look like in the United States.
She is an advocate for federal laws that would regulate the use of cannabis, especially for medicinal purposes, instead of having laws vary by state. “There is so much confusion,” she said. “There is not a centered message right now.”
Federal legislation would increase access to cannabis research and standardize use, she said.
The June 10 Instagram Live session may be viewed at 12:00 pm ET hosted at @drayanajordan and @msmarypryor. Following the live session, the conversation will be archived at IMDYresources.com.