Is social media safe? What protections do our children deserve? Alexander Neville died at 14 years old after buying what he thought was oxycodone on Snap Chat. A 12 year old boy died after doing a Tik Tok choking challenge. Amanda Todd died by suicide at age 15 after cyberbullying and blackmail. Molly Russell was 14 years old when she died by hanging herself after she binged graphic and romanticized self-harm content up to 2 minutes before she died.

Marc Berkman serves as the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS), which he has grown into the world's preeminent consumer protection organization focused on social media. As a globally recognized expert in social media safety, Marc has testified before Congress and been featured in notable publications like the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. Previously, Marc served for over a decade as a senior advisor to members of the United States Congress and the California State Assembly. Marc received his JD from Columbia Law School and his BA from UC Berkeley. He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles, CA.

Organization for Social Media Safety, OFSMS is the first and leading nonprofit (501c3) consumer protection-organization focused exclusively on social media. Through advocacy, education, and technology development, OFSMS protects against all social media- related dangers including cyberbullying, suicide, human trafficking, and more. OFSMS has taught essential safety skills to hundreds of thousands of students, parents, and educators across the world; has passed groundbreaking social media safety legislation like Jordan’s Law; and has conducted groundbreaking with research in partnership with U.C.L.A.'s School of Education.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

The association of mass casualty violence and THC is growing. Dr. Ken Finn has been following these cases.

Kenneth Finn, MD practiced Pain Medicine in Colorado Springs from 1994-2024. He moved to Prescott, Arizona in 2025 to continue practicing comprehensive Pain Medicine. He is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (1995), Pain Medicine (1998), and Pain Management (2000). He is certified in Cannabis Science through the University of Colorado (2022). He was a associate professor for the University of Colorado Medical School, Colorado Springs branch (2018-2024). He is former President (2022-24) of the American Board of Pain Medicine and has served on their Exam Council for over 25 years. He served on the Colorado Governor’s Task Force on Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana for recreational use, Consumer Safety and Social Issues Work Group (2012) and served 4 years on Colorado’s Medical Marijuana Scientific Advisory Council (2014-18). He was an invited speaker to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, March 2023. He testified to the Canadian Senate on their marijuana bill (2018) as well as New York General Assembly (2019), and speaks internationally on the health impacts of marijuana, including being an invited speaker to the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, UCLA VA Medical Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) and the Texas Medical and Pain Societies, among many others. He works nationally with other state legislators considering legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. Dr. Finn was selected to testify to the Department of Justice on the rescheduling of marijuana (2024). He is editor of Cannabis in Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach (2020) and currently the Co-Vice President (2021) of the International Academy on the Science and Impacts of Cannabis (https://iasic1.org) which is now a member of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (2023).

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Positive Directions, Drug Free Side-walks, Drug-Free Housing and Recovery. San Francisco activists give hope to people with addiction.

Cedric Akbar is a San Francisco-based community leader and a passionate advocate for recovery and prisoner reentry. With over 25 years of leadership, particularly in San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point, Cedric serves as the Director of Forensic and Recovery Services at Westside Community Services. He is a founding member of Positive Directions Equals Change, an advisor to Drug-Free Sidewalks, and was elected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee in 2024.

Feb 2025 BayView Black Newspaper

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Positive Directions Equals Changes

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.