معرفی
Michelle Newhart is a Lecturer in the Sociology Department at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, and a faculty researcher in the Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research (HIIMR). She holds doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees in sociology from the same university. Her research focuses on medical cannabis use, midlife health, stigma, and contested illnesses, with particular attention to policy evolution and legitimacy strategies. Dr. Newhart has authored/co-authored books including The Medicalization of Marijuana, which won a 2020 ASA award, and contributed to social science research methods textbooks. She has taught at multiple institutions including University of Colorado Boulder and has experience in instructional design for online education.
Education:
- PhD in Sociology, Cal Poly Humboldt
- MA in Sociology, Cal Poly Humboldt
- BA in Sociology, Cal Poly Humboldt
Research interests span medical sociology, cannabis policy, gender studies, and science/technology studies. She moderates the LinkedIn group Cannabis Researchers in the Social Sciences (CRITSS) and has extensive international fieldwork experience in Canada and Europe. Her work bridges academic research with public policy advocacy, emphasizing marginalized patient narratives and stigma reduction strategies.
Grants/Awards: Recipient of the 2020 Donald W. Light Award from the American Sociological Association for her book on medical cannabis patients' experiences. Her interdisciplinary approach combines ethnographic methods with policy analysis to address gaps in understanding cannabis legalization's societal impacts.
