By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – Impact Montevallo, a coalition combating substance abuse, has announced an event centered around raising awareness about the dangers of marijuana.

The event, entitled “Weeding Out the Truth: Investigating Today’s Marijuana Laws, Products & Precautions” will be held online on Impact Montevallo’s website on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The event begins at 11 a.m., and was rescheduled from a previous date of Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Sarah Hogan, the director of Impact Montevallo, gave a brief description on what the presentation entails.

“The presentation is meant to make parents, educators and community members aware of the current and new marijuana products that are available in our state,” Hogan said. “It will discuss the Alabama Medical Cannabis Legislation and Commission, and the status of dispensaries and manufacturing.  Attendees will learn the differences and similarities of illegal marijuana and the legal substances found on store shelves and the risks and dangers associated with all these substances.”

The event itself is part of a partnership with Raising Resilient Children, a web series addressing common issues facing adolescent youth today. These issues include substance abuse, bullying and more. Hogan added that the presentation’s emphasis on marijuana comes from its widespread use being synonymous with the public not understanding its harmful effects.

“The changes in the marijuana landscape in our state over the last several years continues to be unclear to much of the public,” Hogan said. “There are so many varying compounds available on store shelves—THC-O, THC-Delta 8, THC Delta 10, THC-P, etc. Because these products are readily available the public assumes that the products are safe for use as they are legal, when there are risks associated. There still remains confusion on the difference between CBD products and THC products as well.”

Hogan added the importance of the public knowing the ramifications of medical cannabis in the state of Alabama, while continuing to emphasize the importance of reducing youth substance abuse.

“Also, it is important for the public to understand the implications of the new medical cannabis in our state,” Hogan said. “All of the information will assist in educating and hopefully reducing our youth from using these substances.”

The discussion itself will be led by Dr. Maurice Valentine. Hogan spoke on Valentine’s background and why he is qualified to lead a lecture on the topic.

“Maurice has worked with at-risk youth and adults across our state for years, serving as a mentor with the Alabama Teen Challenge, Montevallo Middle & High Schools, Chaplain for local high school athletic teams and through his role as a pastor,” Hogan said. “He experiences firsthand the substances and related issues for youth and their families through these roles.  Maurice also serves as the Youth Coordinator for Impact Montevallo and attends Nationwide trainings to stay abreast of the latest marijuana related issues being seen across our country. Many times, we learn about the new products our youth are being exposed to by personal experiences he has with families coming forward for help.”

While Valentine’s experience has taken him across the country, Hogan emphasized that the presentation itself will almost exclusively focus on marijuana’s relationship with Alabama.

“The presentation will look at all the current and emerging marijuana products, including which products are available in Alabama and which may be present in our state soon,” Hogan said. “It will also include which products are being regulated by the state and the effects and risks associated with each of the products.”

The event is free to attend, and registration for the event can be found on Impact Montevallo’s Facebook page. For those who cannot make the presentation, it will be posted on the Impact Montevallo website and Impact Montevallo’s YouTube page after completion.

“It is our hope that this webinar will empower the community to pay attention to risky products that are available in our local communities, have conversations with others to increase the understanding of these products and educate youth on the dangers to reduce the number of youth who are using these products,” Hogan said.

To find out more about Impact Montevallo, visit Impactmontevallo.com.