“Emerging from the Darkness: The End of the Drug War and the Rise of Recovery” will be presented on

Thursday April 20, 2017, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, with a reception preceding from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm; by Dr. Kevin T. McCauley, MD; co-founder of the Institute on Addiction Study; writer of the award-winning DVD “Pleasure Unwoven” and the DVD “Memo To Self.” Not only have the ships for which we have waited for so long appeared on the horizon, some of them have now come into port. Parity. Treatment on demand. Stigma reduction. These once seemingly impossible dreams are today a reality. The White House creates an "Office of Recovery" and speaks openly about a "Third Way" for new policy. States legalize cannabis for - not medical - but recreational use, and create a giant natural experiment that will reveal previous certainties about its dangers as truth or fiction. Films, books, plays, and music put a human face on addiction, changing minds and hearts in the process. But most importantly, people are recovering. As we emerge from the rubble of the Drug War, we can rebuild on the foundation of astonishing brain research that has quietly accumulated through decades of zero-tolerance and mass incarceration. In this lecture, we will stop and realize this moment in history, and compare it to other challenges of health disparity and social inequality. We will review the rising science of recovery and explore concepts of recovery management. We will elucidate this "Third Way," and consider the challenges it entails. We will explore innovative policies, enacted on local and national levels, which hold the promise of preventing addiction before it starts, treating it on a scale never before seen in the US, and re-enfranchising a battered but resilient American demographic.  As groups of men and women, formerly living in the shadows, come together, define themselves, and become a people, we should not forget: History is watching.

COSTS:  Admission is FREE and open to all.  No registration is required.  A certificate to document attendance can be provided on request. FREE CE is provided for addiction professionals.

WHO THE PROGRAM IS FOR: People interested in any topic for any reason, personal or professional - ALL ARE WELCOME!