GREAT FALLS — Community prevention specialists partnered together on Thursday at Great Falls College for a presentation titled, ‘Not your Grandparent’s marijuana’.
The event explored the effects of legalization, and how it impacts use by young people and discussed effective prevention techniques.
A panelist of speakers presided over a large group including George Meadors, a licensed addictions counselor, Beth Price-Morrison of Alliance for Youth, Brett Munkres from GFPD and others.
Price-Morrison says it’s not only a way to educate community members on how to keep their children safe, but also raise awareness efforts, and help others get in touch with state legislators about the relatively new legal industry.
"We've had a lot of conversations with the legislatures across the state about being smart and intentional and let’s go at this at a slow and steady pace so that we can make sure we are protecting our youth in our communities and our state,” she says.
Keynote speaker of the evening and director of Youth Connections Coleen Smith says THC potency in marijuana products has gone up from 2% to as high as 99.9% in recent decades.
Since it became legal within city limits in Great Falls, several dispensaries have opened their doors in the Electric City. Many are concerned about how they are regulated and even zoned.
In Billings, a Wild West Wellness store recently came under fire for allegedly selling illegal synthetic products to customers (link).
“We really can’t let this industry have free rein to tell us here in Montana how things should be,” says Price-Morrison.
