BELLOWS FALLS, Vt – The Town of Rockingham, Greater Falls Connections, and FACT-TV will be co-hosting two community events as Rockingham voters prepare to decide whether to opt in to retail cannabis on Town Meeting Day. The first event on Feb. 9, “Cannabis Conversations,” invites parents and other caring adults to have open, honest, and judgment-free conversations about youth and cannabis use. WNESU Student Assistance Professional Heather Waryas will present on the Teen Brain. Discussion topics will include How to Talk to Kids, Youth Mental Health, Trauma, and Preventing Youth Substance Use. Information regarding local regulations and best practices for youth prevention will also be shared.
The second event on Feb. 16 will be an informational forum for voters on topics including zoning and advertising, local control, potential economic costs and benefits, and health and safety concerns. A panel of speakers with diverse knowledge will include Susan Westa, a Senior Planner from the Windham Regional Commission, a local cannabis entrepreneur, and experts in youth mental health and prevention. Mike Smith and Marty Gallagher from FACT-TV’s The FEED will moderate audience questions.
Both events will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. The Feb. 9 “Cannabis Conversation” will be virtual, and the Feb. 16 Voter Forum will be hybrid on Zoom and in-person at the Bellows Falls Opera House Lower Theater.