UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
Winter 2021
INT D 250
Survey Course on Cannabis
COURSE OUTLINE
Background
Cannabis is one of the most culturally and economically influential, albeit controversial,
plants in the world. This interdisciplinary survey course was designed to provide an
introduction to the contemporary issues and debates surrounding the distribution and use
of cannabis in a Canadian context. Given the recreational use of cannabis was legalized
October 17, 2018 every Canadian should be informed about cannabis.
Calendar Statement
INT D 250- Survey Course on Cannabis
Mondays 4pm-6:50pm online via e-class
No-prerequisites required
3(fi 6) (either term, 3-0-0) This is a survey course on what is cannabis, how and why it is
used. Topics will include: history, harm reduction, benefits, regulation, medical and
recreational uses, health effects and risks, treatment options, research, evidence, ethics and
business practices. Implications of legalization will be discussed. Open to all
undergraduate students.
Course hours (for this term)
Lecture: *3
Seminar: 0
Lab: 0
Course objectives
The student will:
1. Learn what cannabis is, why it is important to study.
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2. Overview the endocannabinoid system, and identify various compounds found in
cannabis, including the different strains/species of cannabis.
3. Overview the impact of cannabis on society throughout North American history.
4. Discuss the impact of the Cannabis Act on all aspects of Canadian businesses,
regulators, and society in general.
5. Analyze both the potential positive and negative health effects of cannabis.
6. Compare and contrast cannabis with other substances such as opioids and alcohol.
7. Overview the current drug overdose crisis, and the basic principles of harm
reduction.
8. Discuss various routes of administration for the medicinal or recreational
consumption of cannabis.
9. Assess the impact of cannabis on vulnerable populations like youth, pregnant
women, indigenous communities, and older adults.
10. Describe the challenges (e.g., stigma, health risks) for those who use cannabis
recreationally.
Learning outcomes
1. Knowledge: Demonstrate knowledge of the various cannabinoids found in cannabis
and how they may affect the brain and body.
2. Competence/skill: Learn how to construct a persuasive scholarly paper on a topic
of interest involving cannabis.
3. Critical thinking: Be able to identify cannabis and other drug-related myths in popmedia, society and culture.
Course location
The course will be offered through eClass, eClass Live and Zoom (Please note: eClass is
the University of Alberta’s branding of the Learning Management System: eClass Live is
the U of A’s brand for the synchronous, online system). eClass is a required technology
and serves as the central meeting place and course repository. The course will begin on
eClass on Monday, Jan 4, 2021 at 4:00pm. The course will be a mixture of synchronous
and asynchronous lectures by the instructor, and by expert guest lecturers.
Course contacts
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Title
Name
Office
number
e-mail
Instructor
Tyler Marshall, PhD (c)
MPH
3-547 ECHA tyler.marshall@ualberta.ca
Communication and office hours
Please allow 1 full business day for an email response. Please email
tyler.marshall@ualberta.ca. Please do not expect a response on weekends or holidays.
Office hours are by appointment only on Monday’s via Google Hangout or Zoom. Please
email me to schedule an appointment. Due to the volume of the course, meetings will be
limited to 15 mins per student.
Required textbooks
Yonge, O. (2020). From 1200 BC to October 17, 2018: The story of cannabis. Amazon
E Books.
Required resources
See reference list
Required supplies
No supplies
Required fee(s)
No extra fees
Supplemental Textbooks & Resources
None
Course evaluation
Assignments/Course components
Midterm examination #1.
Dates
Weight Course lectures
February 22, 2021 20%
Weeks #: 1-5
3
Midterm examination #2.
March 29, 2021
25%
Final examination
Term paper proposal
April 23, 2021
February 8, 2021
35%
Weeks #: 1-12
Pass/Fail
Term paper peer-review feedback
Revisions (if
necessary) due
March 1, 2021
March 15, 2021
5%
Final term paper
April 12, 2021
April 1, 2021
(early)
15%
Optional bonus assignment
March 22, 2021
5%
Weeks #: 6-11
N/A
Assignments descriptions
Details for all assignments will be posted on eClass.
Midterm #1 (20%)
1.5 hours. For the first examination, the student will be tested on the content (assigned
readings, lecture, PowerPoints) from weeks 1-5. Midterm 1 will be on Feb 22, 2021. The
Faculty is incorporating universal design principles by providing all students with up to
1.5 times the required time for midterm and final exams only. Class activities designed to
facilitate learning and/or exposure to exam type questions that are worth up to and
including 10% of the total grade are exempt from the 1.5 multiplier. If you have ANY
other exam related accommodations, you MUST register any applicable midterm or final
exam(s) in clockwork by the deadline.
Midterm #2 (25%)
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1.5 hours. The second examination will cover content from weeks 6-11. Midterm 2 will
be on March 29, 2021. The Faculty is incorporating universal design principles by
providing all students with up to 1.5 times the required time for midterm and final exams
only. Class activities designed to facilitate learning and/or exposure to exam type
questions that are worth up to and including 10% of the total grade are exempt from the
1.5 multiplier. If you have ANY other exam related accommodations, you MUST register
any applicable midterm or final exam(s) in clockwork by the deadline.
Final Examination (35%)
3 hours. The final examination will cover material from the entire course (weeks 1-12).
The final examination will be on April 23, 2021. The Faculty is incorporating universal
design principles by providing all students with up to 1.5 times the required time for
midterm and final exams only. Class activities designed to facilitate learning and/or
exposure to exam type questions that are worth up to and including 10% of the total grade
are exempt from the 1.5 multiplier. If you have ANY other exam related accommodations,
you MUST register any applicable midterm or final exam(s) in clockwork by the deadline.
Expert Commentary (term paper) (20%)
The objective of the assignment is to provide an expert opinion (commentary) on a
cannabis-related topic of your choice.
1. Proposal (Pass/Fail): You will first write a short proposal (around 250 words). The
proposal is complete or incomplete and the final paper drop box will not open until
the assignment is completed. Upon approval, you will then write an article of a
maximum of 1,000 words (body of essay only). You will receive feedback on the
proposal and it will be expected that this feedback will be implemented in the final
paper. APA format (6th or 7th edition), Times New Roman 12pt, double spaced.
Due February 8, 2021. If a paper proposal is not approved or requires substantial
revision, you may be required to revise and resubmit by March 1.
2. Main article (15%): It is expected you provide a unique viewpoint, argument or
stance on a cannabis-related topic. However, you must provide a compelling
rationale, and support your view with sufficient scholarly literature or scientific
evidence. You must also describe and consider any alternative hypotheses or
viewpoints that may be contrary to your position, and describe any limitations to
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your ideas. Minimum of 5 references, maximum of 10 references may be used. Only
APA format (6th or 7th edition) will be accepted including double spaced text and
Times New Roman 12pt font. Late papers will be penalized 1/15 marks per day late.
Please submit your article in a Word document with the word count listed on the
title page. You may turn in this assignment at any time during the course, once the
topic proposal is approved. Plagiarism, in any form, will not be tolerated. Please see
university guidelines for more details. You can receive a bonus mark for submitting
your final paper >10 days before the final due date (any time on or before 11:59pm
April, 1).
3. Peer-review (5%): You will carefully read the papers from 3 other classmates at
random selection and provide helpful, and constructive comments in the word
document. Then, you will use the rubric to grade the essay. In the comments, you
will provide recommendations for improving the article. The student is expected to
consider the recommendations and implement them in the final paper. You must
attach the peer-reviewed rubrics at the end of your final essay.
Bonus Assignment (5%)
Choose five activities from the list below. Complete the activity and write a reflective
essay for each activity. The criteria for each of the activities will be acceptable or
unacceptable. Thus you receive a maximum of 5 points, one for each activity. Acceptable
means the description is clear, well structured, and addresses the questions poised in the
activity below. Each activity is designed to require about 2 to 3 hours of your time. Please
only do 5 of the 7 activities. If you decide to do more, you will only receive marks for the
first 5. Please write in APA format (6th or 7th edition) using 12 pt font in Times New
Roman double spaced. Each essay must be a minimum of 1 full page in length, maximum
2 pages. Due March 22.
1) Watch one full length movie (90 plus minutes) based on a cannabis theme. Give
the title of the movie and a short description of the movie. Why did you choose
this movie? How did it advance your knowledge about cannabis? Were there any
errors related to cannabis? What were the producers trying to communicate?
2) Starting on Jan 4, choose four stocks you will follow until March 8. Describe the
stocks. What was appealing about the stocks you chose? If there was fluctuation in
the stocks, explain why. After this class is over, will you invest in any of the
stocks? Why?
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3) Visit four dispensaries online that serve recreational cannabis. Describe their
business plan, special features, marketing, curb appeal, quality of their website.
Compare and contrast the four dispensaries. Is it a business you would frequent?
4) Download four free apps related to cannabis. Why did you choose these apps?
Why would you use them? Comment on their purpose and quality. Who is the
intended audience? Would you recommend these apps to others? Why? Compare
and contrast the four apps.
5) Listen to four podcasts about cannabis. Who was the speaker? Why did you
choose each podcast? What was the quality of the podcast? Who is the intended
audience? What did you learn? Compare and contrast the four podcasts.
6) Choose two medical conditions that are treated with cannabis. Use at least one
research-based article per medical condition and describe why cannabis is
effective. Include the reference for the article.
7) Make a contribution to the Human Library: The Story of Cannabis. The purpose
of the human library is to have a person tell their story about their use of cannabis.
Before you interview and videotape a person, draw up interview questions and
administer the consent form (one is posted in e class). When you start recording
ask the interviewee to state their name and to say they have consented to being
interviewed by you and their story will be a resource for INTERD 250. If
someone under 18 years is interviewed, a parent or guardian must give consent.
The length of the interview will be between 10-20 minutes. The quality of the
interview must be so others can view it and learn from this person’s experience.
Please note that eClass has a 400mb upload limit.
Content Overview:
Week #1:
Monday
Jan 11
Week #2:
Monday
Jan 18
Introduction Cannabis
to cannabis cultivation
and the
endocannabi
noid system
Week #3:
Monday
Jan 25
Week #4:
Monday
Feb 1
Week #5:
Monday
Feb 8
Week #6:
Monday
Feb 15
History,
policy &
regulations
of cannabis
Cannabis
industry
Cannabis
and pop
culture
No Class
Reading
Week
Midterm
review
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Proposal
due
Tyler
Marshall
Dr. Maya
Kalogirou
Tyler
Marshall &
Melissa
Scheuerman
Tyler
Marshall &
John Marek
Tyler
Marshall
Week #7:
Monday
Feb 22
Week #8:
Monday
Mar 1
Week #9:
Monday
Mar 8
Week #10:
Monday
Mar 15
Week #11:
Monday
Mar 22
Week #12:
Monday
Mar 29
Midterm 1
Discuss
midterm 1
Cannabis:
addiction
and mental
health
Cannabis in
context with
the opioid
overdose
crisis
Impacts of
cannabis on
youth, the
developing
brain and
driving
Midterm 2
Routes of
administrati
on
Medical
Cannabis
Proposal
revisions
due
Stereotypes,
stigma and
workplace
discriminati
on
Midterm 2
review
Bonus
assignments
due
Dr. Rob
Tanguay
Tyler
Marshall
Week #13
Week #14
Week #15
Apr 5
Apr 12
Apr 23
NO CLASS
Easter
Monday
Final exam
review
Final Exam
Tyler
Marshall
Tyler
Marshall
Tyler
Marshall
9:00amTerm Paper 12:00pm
Due
(noon)
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Final grades
The assignments are marked as raw scores according to the percentage weight assigned to
each. The marks on course assignments will contribute to the overall letter grade according
to the percentage that each assignment is weighted in the course. At the end of the course,
all assignment scores are totaled for a term summary mark in the course based on the
grading scale below. The FINAL COURSE GRADE is based on the cumulative total of
individual student’s weighted assignment marks.
Faculties may define acceptable grading practices in their disciplines. Such grading
practices must align with the University of Alberta Assessment and Grading Policy and
its procedures, which are available online at the University of Alberta Policies and
Procedures Online (UAPPOL) website (https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca).
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F
Percent
94.95-100.00
90.95-94.94
86.95-90.94
82.95-86.94
78.95-82.94
74.95-78.94
70.95-74.94
66.95-70.94
62.95-66.94
58.95-62.94
54.95-58.94
0.00-54.94
Grades reflect judgements of student achievement made by instructors and must
correspond to the associated descriptor. These judgements are based on a combination of
absolute achievement and relative performance in a class. The assignments are marked as
raw scores according to the percentage weight assigned to each. At the end of the course,
all scores are totaled for a term summary mark in the course.
Faculties may define acceptable grading practices in their disciplines. Such grading
practices must align with the University of Alberta Assessment and Grading Policy and
its procedures, which are available online at the University of Alberta Policies and
Procedures Online (UAPPOL) website (https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca).
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Due attention is paid to descriptions of grade points according to the 2020-2021 University
of Alberta Calendar:
Course grades obtained by undergraduate students:
Descriptor
Letter
Grade
Grade
Value
Excellent
A+
A
A-
4.0
4.0
3.7
Good
B+
B
B-
3.3
3.0
2.7
Satisfactory
C+
C
C-
2.3
2.0
1.7
Poor
D+
Minimal Pass D
1.3
1.0
Failure
0.0
F or F4
Point
Note: F4 denotes eligibility of a student to apply for a reexamination of a course.
Deferred exams
A student who has missed an exam because of incapacitating mental and/or physical
illness, severe domestic affliction or for circumstances as described in the University's
Discrimination, Harassment and Duty to Accommodate Policy (including religious
belief) may apply for a deferred exam as stated in 2020-2021 University of Alberta
Calendar. Students are required to follow the process outlined in the policy should they
wish to apply for a deferred exam. The Instructor will designate a date and time for the
deferred exams depending on the reason for deferral.
For courses with a final exam worth 40%:
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To be considered for a reexamination, please refer to the Reexamination Policy as stated
in the University of Alberta Calendar 2020-2021.
Policy statements
The course outline acts as an agreement between the student and the instructor of this class
regarding the details of the course.
Policy about course outlines can be found under the Course Requirements, Evaluation
Procedures and grading in the University of Alberta Calendar 2020-2021.
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and
honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic
honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are
particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student
Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could
potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or
participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in
suspension or expulsion from the University.
Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other
teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the
instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content,
digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used
solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without
prior written consent from the content author(s).
Disclaimer
The instructor of this course does not advocate or condone for the use or non-use of
cannabis under any circumstance. The intent in offering this course is to increase
knowledge/understanding of a now legal substance and how it impacts our health, society
and culture.
Additional notes
● All the lectures will be recorded and be available in eClass. It is still highly
recommended to attend the lectures live.
● “Marjuana” or “Marihuana” are words of Spanish origins that were once used in a
discriminatory manner towards Hispanic people who were immigrating into the
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United States. Thus, the more appropriate, and scientifically accurate, word
“cannabis” will be used through this course.
● Some of the audio and visual clips may contain coarse language or other offensive
behaviours. They were chosen to depict cannabis culture. Where possible, a
warning will be posted with the clip.
● The synchronous classes (i.e., lecture classes over zoom) will occasionally
experience technical issues. This is unfortunately an unavoidable reality. We have
allotted extra time in each class to diagnose any issues. If this occurs, please use
this time to take a short break, or study notes, etc. We appreciate your patience with
this.
● Also please note that cannabis research -- particularly in the context of medical
cannabis and its health effects -- is a rapidly evolving field of knowledge. As a
result, I will test over the best available information that we have at this time (as
presented and cited in the slides) provided by either myself or our expert guest
lecturers. Please note that some information may be subject to change as new
research and evidence emerges.
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