Opinion: Strong turnout for cannabis film in Incline Village

Roughly 80 students, parents and community members gathered in the Incline High School theater on May 30 to watch the award-winning documentary, “The Other Side of Cannabis.” Also present were IHS Principal Leslie Hermann and middle school principal Sharon Kennedy.

The hour-long film featured youth in recovery from marijuana addiction. The film emphasized how much more powerful today’s pot is compared to the pot smoked a few decade ago. Doctors figure this stronger marijuana accounts for the withdrawal symptoms recovering addicts experience that simply were not present in the past.

After the film, psychiatrist and Incline community member Dr. Robert Shubinski answered questions and highlighted the importance of good lifestyle decisions to deal with life’s stresses. River Coyote, director for Tahoe Truckee Future Without Drug Dependence of Placer County, also contributed to the discussion, as did Counselor Christi Goates of Community Recovery Services, who works with youth in Tahoe and Truckee.

Debbie Larson

Incline Village