The Daily Bulletin

The Buffalo State College Counseling Center will offer a new program to assist students in reducing harms associated with marijuana use. Cannabis Screening and Intervention for College Students (CASICS) aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to make empowered choices regarding their use.

Marijuana use among college students is the highest it has been in 35 years and is associated with negative physical, mental, emotional, relational, and academic effects. With marijuana becoming legal in New York State, there can be a lot of conflicting messages and confusion about the risks of use, and many students may find that their marijuana use is having a harmful effect on their lives.

As faculty and staff members, we are often the first to identify that a student is struggling, and we are in a unique position to support our students. If you would like more information about CASICS, how to have a conversation with a student about his or her marijuana use, or how to refer a student to the program, please contact Ashley Maracle, L.C.S.W., case manager and senior counselor in the Weigel Wellness Center.

This program is being evaluated as part of a doctoral capstone project through the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. If you’re willing and able, please complete a brief survey (about 7–10 minutes) about any information you have received about student marijuana use or CASICS.

View the informed consent.

Principal Investigator
Ashley Maracle
1300 Elmwood Ave.
Weigel Wellness Center 205
Buffalo, NY 14222

Any faculty or staff member who receives information about student marijuana use or CASICS, including the above information, is eligible to participate in the study. If you have any questions about this study, please contact Ashley Maracle, 878-4436. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact Gina Game, IRB administrator, SUNY Buffalo State Institutional Review Board, 878-3093.