Professor: Christina Karns

4.00 credits

• CRN 25294: Tuesday & Thursday, 4:00-5:20pm @ CHA 201

Check the headlines! Opiate abuse epidemic. High rates of stimulant use by college students. Marijuana legalization. Psychedelic decriminalization. Mass incarceration of non-violent drug offenders. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of abstinence to addiction, these issues affect you and the people you know. Through learning the neuroscientific basis of commonly used and abused psychoactive drugs, we will grapple with hard questions and challenge existing drug policies. Through a critical gaze on the past, we will look toward future reforms that could lead to a healthier and more just society. In this course, students will learn foundational neuroscientific principles of psychoactive drug mechanisms, harms and benefits, addiction potential, and the intersecting implications for policy.