I didn’t know the story of Reef Baker, of Greenwich, until his mom Laura reached out to me. He was a young man, full of love and empathy for others, who died of an overdose just after his 16th birthday. His characteristics included kindness towards others, a love of adventure, and cultivating friendships. These traits ring true to me when …
On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, we hosted Hope Payson, LCSW, LADC, a trauma & addiction therapist, for a virtual Pathway Session over Zoom. The meeting was well-attended, and Hope allocated plenty of time for Q&A. Hope addressed her area of specialty, which is the intersection of trauma with substance use disorder. She stated that while she works with plenty of …
On May 8, the last day of the legislative session, the CT General Assembly passed House Bill 5150, An Act Concerning Cannabis and Hemp Regulation. Among other things, the bill creates and regulates a product category for THC-infused beverages, which had been overlooked in previous marijuana legislation. Going forward, THC beverages will only be sold at licensed cannabis retailers and …
On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, we hosted Jim Funnell, a trust & estates attorney, for an in-person Pathway Session on financial planning for a loved one with a mental health or other disability. The meeting was well-attended, and Jim allocated some more of his time afterwards for individual Q&A. Jim addressed some of the common entitlement programs that exist, including …
A new Smoke Shop has opened on Main Street in New Canaan, and retailers including Stew Leonard’s and Whole Foods are selling THC-infused seltzers by CANN. Why do I mention this? Because it goes against the spirit of the cannabis legalization bill of 2021 (aka Public Act 21-1, an Act Concerning Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis (“RERACA”). The …
I have been test driving recoveryeducation.com, a parent-focused website for families affected by addiction. The full name of this website tool is REAL, Recovery Education & Applied Learning. It’s the brainchild of New Canaan resident and REAL Founder & CEO Todd Lampert, who was inspired by a recovery journey in his own family. The Town of New Canaan has graciously …
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, we hosted Tim Walsh of Adventure Recovery (AR) for an in-person Pathway Session on how outdoor movement and skills can promote recovery. There was a good mix of recovery coaches and parents in attendance. For some time it has been recognized that the brain can be impacted by community, moving in the outdoors, and spending …
On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, we hosted Raquel Harrison, MD, a local Lifestyle Medicine and emergency physician, for an in-person Pathway Session on managing cortisol for health and recovery. Lifestyle Medicine is a relatively new medical specialty based on the vital role that lifestyle choices play in preventing and reversing chronic diseases. Thee are six pillars of lifestyle medicine: plant-forward …
On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, we hosted Ethan Hershman and Colleen Delaney, co-founders of the nonprofit group Move to Heal (MTH). It was an insightful session about a recovery approach that is growing rapidly from 1 outlet in 2021 to 24 locations by the end of the year. I first became aware of Move to Heal when Ian Parker, in …
On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, we hosted Jordan Davidson, Government Affairs Manager at Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a man in long-term recovery from THC addiction. I first became aware of Jordan because his mom who used to attend our parent support meetings when Jordan was in the early days of his recovery. He a recent graduate of American …
