Malissa's Blog

If you ask anyone in prevention about how they feel about the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, and 80% of them will answer with the same phrase- I am worried about the mixed messages being sent to youth. And they aren’t wrong.  Legalization of marijuana is a mix of emotions no matter where it is discussed- it is touted as the savior of economies and social/racial injustice, a r...

  This November, and earlier, considering mail-in ballots, voters are casting votes to amend the New Jersey Constitution to allow recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 or older, or as many refer to it, cannabis. Here are some general facts about marijuana and the legalization process that may require more consideration. Marijuana has been a Schedule 1 drug that has been outlawed for any...

  This November, and earlier considering mail-in ballots, voters are casting votes to amend the New Jersey Constitution to allow recreational use of marijuana, or as many refer to it, cannabis.  “ The interpretive statement is as follows: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis”? O...

Please Join Us for this Virtual Event! Zoom link: Zoom Link for IOAD Event on Thursday August 27th Meeting ID: 867 8890 9129 Passcode: 640777

For the last day of Pride month at 2 PM, we are hosting a Netflix watch party featuring the documentary The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson. Marsha P. Johnson was a Black trans woman that was an icon of the LGBTQ+ movement and was considered a heroine of the Stonewall Riots.  Many are unaware that the LGBTQ+ community has an alarmingly high rate of substance use challenges.  Man...

Today Is April 20th- 4/20,  Do you know what this might mean?  Often it is referred to as "Weed Day".   Many myths exist about 4/20-  No, it isn't the police code for Marijuana Use! While it IS a date, historically it is linked to the time of day that youth use- after school and club responsibilities, and usually when parents are at work and there is little supervision.&nb...

On the third Thursday of November, every year for more than 40 years, there has been an event called the Great American Smokeout. This tradition emerged from an effort started in 1970, where a man named Arthur P. Mullaney asked his town to give up smoking for a day and donate the money they would have used on cigarettes on a high school scholarship. Several other efforts followed, and Califor...

Last week, January 22-25th was National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW). Area schools and groups held contests, activities, and informational meetings about facts surrounding substance use and misuse. A coalition member, The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), wrote an informative article that showed more facets of addiction studies as part of NDAFW. We are grateful for our m...

     On Wednesday, December 12, our coalition hosted a holiday breakfast to review our year and to announce some big changes in our leadership. Our coalition members had an opportunity to catch up, introduce themselves to others, network and socialize over a nice breakfast of breakfast sandwiches, bagels, pastries, fruit and more. As the meeting portion began, our guests introduced ...

One of my first assignments at Mercer Council was the 2nd Annual International Overdose event, held last year in Hamilton. I received all of the registration calls, and with those calls, came stories of questioning, heartbreak, and hope.  I heard stories of sons and daughters taken too soon; of a young father leaving behind 2 and 4-year-old sons; a young girl experimenting for the first and l...