Communities That Care group discusses marijuana changes
Denise Continenza, Communities That Care coordinator, opened the June 21 meeting by talking about her recent experience at the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance conference. The conference allows professionals the opportunity to network, engage in skill-building workshops and attend informative lecture sessions on topics relevant to the prevention of substance abuse and risk-related behaviors.
Joe Martellucci, drug and alcohol assistant administrator for Lehigh County, also attended the conference. One of the topics covered at the conference was recreational use versus medicinal marijuana. He shared some of the new information he learned with the CTC members.
He noted that since the rules regulating marijuana usage are changing, so is the production of the drug. It was reported the marijuana being produced today has a much higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component of the drug.
“It’s not your dad’s marijuana,” Martellucci joked.
More states are legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, but the people using the drug are not used to the higher level of potency. The levels of THC in marijuana has risen exponentially since the 1960s, shifting the balance of the drug. The earlier makeup of the drug had a natural balance between THC and cannabidiol (CBD). This balance no longer exists in most of the marijuana being produced today. CBD is a component of the drug often used for medicinal reasons. It is not psychoactive like THC.
“Marijuana has its place - medicinal,” Martellucci said.
Studies have proven that with the proper dosage for specific ailments, marijuana can prove to be a valuable medicine.
The question posed to CTC regarded the increasing legislation and how best to keep this stronger product out of the hands of children. It was noted the methods of ingesting the drug have expanded to include a wide variety of options, including smoking, vaping, gummy candies, lip balms and lotions, which can introduce the drug into the system. CTC members discussed the dangers of a child reaching for seemingly innocent candies, only to have them be marijuana gummies.
“It’s all about education,” said Bill Leiner, treasurer of Whitehall-Coplay School Board.
Leiner is a former Coplay Borough mayor and councilman and a former Lehigh County commissioner. He has also worked in the medical and nursing industry for many years.
Continenza agreed that early and continued education is important for a topic like this.
Martellucci raised the point that the educational approach will have to change from past methods. He noted some of the kids in the schools have not known a world where marijuana was not legalized. This new status requires a new angle.
Shari Noctor, chair of Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative, was proud to report the summer breakfast camps doubled in size from last year. The camps are held at two locations in the area this year: Redeemed Christian Church of God, Coplay, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Fullerton. According to Noctor, there are approximately 30 children at each location on a given day.
Noctor mentioned she was working with Michelle Khouri, district registrar, to reach out directly to some of the families most in need in the district. This helped to account for the sudden growth in the program.
Taking into consideration this jump in numbers, Noctor reported the volunteers working the camps are running out of food and need to make additional trips to the grocery store. The camps accept donations of packaged and fresh foods as well as monetary donations.
Noctor also discussed the Snack Pack Pals program in the district schools. This program provides additional food for the students in need during the school year. According to Noctor, the group distributed 190 bags of food monthly throughout all the schools in the district during the 2018-19 school year.
“It’s a tremendous program,” said William Fonzone, school board member, regarding the work done by WCHI in the district.