Challenges, Surprises, Hurdles, and Opportunities: Navigating an Ever-Evolving Cannabis Environment in the College Setting
Includes a Live Web Event on 03/25/2026 at 12:15 PM (EDT)
Jason R. Kilmer, Ph.D.
Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Adjunct Associate Professor, Psychology
University of Washington
Dr. Jason Kilmer is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at UW. Throughout his career, Jason has worked in both the student affairs world and the research world. In each professional position he has held, he has split his time between research related to reducing harms associated with substance use by college students and directly serving and supporting students and colleagues in divisions of Students Affairs or Student Life.
At UW’s Center for the Study of Health & Risk Behaviors (CSHRB), Jason serves as an investigator on several studies evaluating prevention and intervention efforts for alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use by college students. In addition to research and teaching, Jason has worked extensively with college students and campus professionals around alcohol and other drug prevention programming both at UW and on over 150 campuses nationwide.
Jason has been project faculty for several international learning collaboratives, including Dartmouth’s National College Health Improvement Program, the NCAA’s (later NASPA’s) 360 Proof program, and, to support campuses in their implementation of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program, the International Town and Gown Association’s (ITGA’s) partnership with UW’s BASICS Innovations Group. Jason was part of the development team for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s College Alcohol Intervention Matrix (CollegeAIM).
Jason was the 2014 recipient of the National Prevention Network’s Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the prevention field and was the 2017 recipient of the Washington State Prevention Professional Award of Excellence. Jason was the 2024 recipient of The Montana Institute’s Science of the Positive National Leadership Award and the 2025 recipient of NASPA’s George D. Kuh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research.
Jen Jacobsen, MA, MPH
Executive Director of Health & Wellness
Macalester College
Jen Jacobsen, MA, MPH serves as the Executive Director of Health & Wellness at Macalester College; previously, she was in the role of Director of Health Promotion and Sexual Respect. Prior to this, she was the Director of Wellness & Prevention and deputy Title IX coordinator at Grinnell College for over a decade. Jen has participated in the NCAA Step UP! advisory board (writing the alcohol curriculum), the Division III Alcohol and Other Drug advisory group (including the revision of 360proof), and currently serves on NASPA’s Culture of Respect and the NIAAA College Working Group. Jen’s primary areas of research and practice include active bystanderism, the role of alcohol in both sex and sexual assault, mental health promotion, the intersection of student affairs and athletics, and leveraging a public health approach to work on college campuses. She is currently pursuing a DrPH with concentrations in implementation science and adolescent & emerging adult behavioral health. As a Jeopardy! contestant in 2009, Jen's first correct answer was "drinks like a fish."
The discrepancies between state and federal cannabis laws create a number of significant challenges. The presenters will address areas of confusion in identifying when and where federal laws take precedence over state laws and discuss challenges related to the lack of regulation of cannabis and THC products. Additionally, presenters will share how to develop communication strategies for key audiences (students, administrators, parents) both about policy and college student well-being.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify where federal laws take precedence over state laws.
- Discuss at least two concerns related to the impacts of legalization and student health and well-being.
- Plan relevant evidence-based communication strategies for key campus audiences.