Intervention Aroostook: 9.15.2020

A community coalition is working hard to get out more awareness regarding drug education and prevention resources. Its the first of a two part Intervention Aroostook with Shawn Cunningham.

Just a few weeks ago, the Presque Isle City Council approved its first license for a marijuana growing facility in the community. City Manager Martin Puckett says unlike the three earlier licenses approved for medical marijuana sales, Northern Euphoria LLC is strictly a growing facility and will not be open to the public. But either way all the sites are affirmation that marijuana in Maine is a reality now. When retails sales begin on Oct. 9, it will have been nearly four year since Maine voters legalized recreational marijuana. But local drug prevention advocates say legalization has only stepped up their efforts to educate and provide more awareness about the prospective dangers...

Meg Hegemann Chair, Drug Free Aroostook Coalition

“there are more and more shops opening up and so that increases the availability for all people and unfortunately the more there is available then the more likelihood or risk there is that young people will access the drug.”

Shawn Cunningham NO STANDUP

Which is why she says the Drug Free Aroostook Coalition marijuana education workgroup they launched several years ago is so critical...

“that group really try to educate folks about the risks involved like any other substance any medication that you take has some risks involved and unfortunately for adolescents their brains still developing and that risk increases exponentionally.”

She says the other component of the workgroup is to reeducate adults as well..

“part of that effort is to educate parents and grandparents so that they understand the risk because the potency of marijuana has changed alot since the 60′s so even adults who might think they have some experience or just knowledge about cannabis use it is vastly different now than what it was then so we’re doing some education around that.”

Doing some education and arming more of the community primarily with awareness. Shawn Cunningham, NS 8.

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