Ben Cort, author and cannabis policy expert from Colorado, will visit Missoula for a community meeting on preventing underage cannabis use on Thursday, May 9. The presentation will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Missoula Public Library, Cooper Room A/B on the fourth floor. This event is being hosted by Healthy Missoula Youth – a local coalition facilitated by Missoula Public Health that works to prevent and reduce youth substance use through a multi-pronged approach. This event is sponsored by the Montana Alliance of Prevention, Healthy Missoula Youth Coalition and the Western Montana Mental Health Center. Cort’s Missoula lecture will be followed by a panel with local health, education and prevention experts and those with lived experience with cannabis-induced psychosis. The group will present on what they are seeing in their respective arenas and take questions from the audience.
Cort has been in substance use recovery since 1996 and is the author of “Weed, Inc.: The Truth about THC, the Pot Lobby, and the Commercial Marijuana Industry.” He is a board member of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and has helped shape cannabis policy in Colorado and on a national level. Cort has been touring Montana communities to discuss effective policy to discourage underage use based on his experience in Colorado and the addiction treatment field.
“Cannabis use has risen amongst Missoula high school youth since adult-use, or ‘recreational’ cannabis, was legalized in 2020,” said Faith Price, chair of Healthy Missoula Youth’s policy and law committee. “We have the opportunity to learn from other states that have legalized before us, which is why we are happy for the opportunity to bring an expert like Ben Cort to our community.”
Healthy Missoula Youth recently launched a media campaign called “CannWeChat? Equipping Parents to Talk with Their Kids About Cannabis.” The goal of this campaign is to encourage Missoula County parents and caregivers to talk to their children about the potential risks of using marijuana at an early age. Visit https://cannwechat.org/ to learn more.
Photo courtesy of Ben Cort.