The California Science Center might be crawling with hyperactive preteens most days of the week, but this Saturday the center's conference room will close its doors to wandering kiddos for an intriguing, adults-only talk. As part of Science Matters, a free series of discussions on scientific topics that affect the general public, the center will host “Medical Marijuana: Helpful or Harmful?” The talk will feature a panel of figures with expertise in pot-related issues, chief among them Joyce Weitzberg, a registered nurse and former director of Costa Mesa's Nutritional Concepts Pain Releaf Center, and Sari J. Steel, an attorney who handles L.A. County's medical marijuana dispensary cases. Along with NBC4 reporter Conan Nolan, who will serve as moderator, and UCLA professors Donald P. Tashkin, M.D., and Bridget Freisthler, Ph.D., they will discuss not only the way weed affects your health but also the impact it has on state law and society in general. Register online or by phone to attend. This could be the excuse you've been waiting for to explore your local dispensary — you know, for educational purposes.

Sat., March 30, 1-2:30 p.m., 2013

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.