Cannabis concerns voiced

By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter

Wheatland Family and Community Support Services (WFCSS) hosted a series of discussions within Wheatland County and Strathmore in May and June to allow residents the opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions on cannabis and its use.
The dialogue opportunities were the result of WFCSS’s successful application to host the series through Cannabis: Let’s Talk Alberta, a community conversation research project funded by Health Canada. Alberta Health Services (AHS), Addictions and Mental Health brought the proposal to Alberta and more locally, Wheatland County, for the discussion series to be made possible.
“The goal of the research project is to support local partners as they facilitate community conversations, share Alberta Health Services key cannabis and help messages, and work towards increased understandings of the range of attitudes, beliefs and values related to cannabis, enhanced citizen engagement leading to increased community cohesion, resilience and understanding, increasing access to evidence informed resources and strengthened community capacity to support dialogue related to cannabis,” said Lynn Walker, chief administrative officer with WFCSS.
A total of 83 participants, ranging from seniors and youth, to community members and municipal councillors, to working staff and retired individuals, attended sessions in Rockyford and Hussar, at a Rural Crime Watch meeting, at two presentations at the Wheatland County Office and at the Youth Club of Strathmore.
Participants learned about how cannabis is currently used in the communities and how cannabis usage may change when it becomes legalized.
“Facilitating these sessions allowed us to see if there were similarities amongst the groups, (and) yes, there were. There is a great angst about what is to come. People are scared for their children and grandchildren. Everyone feels more education is needed by the community and by the authorities before the legislation is passed,” said Walker.
“Persons also hoped that legalizing will make it safer for those who do use the product. The one thing they believed is that regardless of the issue, people should have respect for one another.”
Although the project as originally supported by AHS will be completed at the end of June, WFCSS has seven trained facilitators in the area who will continue to offer the same discussion opportunities on cannabis to interested individuals and groups. Interested parties in hosting a ‘Let’s Talk Cannabis’ discussion can contact Walker at the WFCSS office, 403-934-5335.
Although the project as originally supported by AHS will be completed at the end of June, WFCSS has seven trained facilitators in the area who will continue to offer the same discussion opportunities on cannabis to interested individuals and groups. Interested parties can contact Walker at the WFCSS office, 403-934-5335.