In this large commercially insured population in the United States, cannabis use was associated with a higher prevalence of certain fungal infections. Although these infections were uncommon, they can result in substantial illness and even death, particularly in immunocompromised persons.

To read full study click here.

Hi all! Here are some highlights from this week.

• National Prevention week has brought more awareness to mental health and/or substance use disorders. Learn more on SAMHSA.gov.

• A community Facebook page was created to celebrate San Diego’s graduating seniors. Here, family members can post their grad and some of their accomplishments. Then, individuals interested in "adopting" a senior can contact their parents for more information to send the student a sweet gift. Read about it here.

• Today, the U.S. Air Force Squadron, the Thunderbirds, will fly over San Diego to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read here and see their flight path.

• Also, this week the one-month old giraffe at the Safari Park was officially named Zahara. See her adorable pictures here.

Have a nice weekend!

Welcome Dr. Lev! MPI is proud to add Dr. Roneet Lev to the San Diego County Marijuana Prevention Initiative Key Leadership team. Roneet Lev, MD FACEP was the first Chief Medical Officer of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP. Lev is dually board certified in emergency and addiction medicine, bringing over 25 years of experience treating the frontline cases of addiction. She came to the White House as chief of the emergency department at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. In 2012, she established and chaired the San Diego Prescription Drug Abuse Medical Task Force. She is Founder and President of IEPC, Independent Emergency Physicians Consortium, an organization providing collaboration to independent emergency departments in California.

In addition to May being Mental Health Monday, this week is National Prevention Week! This is an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, mental health and/or substance use disorders.

According to SAMHSA, the three primary goals of National Prevention Week (NPW) are to:

• Involve communities in raising awareness of substance use and mental health issues and in implementing prevention strategies, and showcasing effectiveness of evidence-based prevention programs
• Foster partnerships and collaborations with federal agencies and national organizations dedicated to improving public health
• Promote and disseminate quality substance use prevention and mental health promotion resources and publications.

NPW is a public education platform that promotes prevention year-round through providing ideas, capacity building, tools, and resources to help individuals and communities make substance use prevention happen every day.

Find out more at https://www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week and follow along with the daily themes on Twitter with the hashtags #NationalPreventionWeek and #PreventionHappensHere.

Need a pick me up for a couple hours? Try a heartwarming movie. Watching a movie can be revitalizing. It allows you to disconnect, relax, and have a good time. Good Housekeeping (linked here) and Collider (linked here) have complied lists of feel-good movies to check out.

Some highlights from the lists are Zootopia, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Space Jam.