The Cannabis Question

We are rolling along through Maine on a two-week vacation, Charley our greyhound in tow.

Not the trendy coast.

But the backwoods on a single lane highway that leads northwest towards the White mountains of New Hampshire.

Small towns drift by the window.

Suddenly, I see not one, but four shops by the side of the road, each bearing large signs that read “CANNABIS.”

One sports a neon light blinking “OPEN.”  From another waves a bold red, blue and white flag.

Anything to catch the eye.

So I am left to wonder what life is like in these small, remote towns – more like villages, really.

And I wonder about the products they promote.

Despite my three score (and more) years, I am no prude – especially when it comes to drugs.  Jacob has been my awakening.  And friends with medical issues have taught me there are some benefits to CBD.

But four stores in one tiny town?

According to recent surveys, Maine ranks high in illicit drug use.  Like elsewhere, deaths from overdose have declined slightly in the past two years.

But what about tomorrow?

New regulations and damning attitudes towards substance abusers may see these numbers rise again.  Treatment helps.  When it declines, problems rise.

Even worse, who knows what’s in today’s drugs.  A recent incident in Baltimore uncovered a non-opioid sedative that felled some 27 people in one day.

Today, from his recovery work in South Florida Jacob watches warily as young and older men and women still die from overdose.  It’s often not clear what killed them.

Riding down a country road in a state resplendent with natural beauty, no one knows for sure what’s in the products these sidebar stores promote.  I am told they are packaged and well-labeled.

Even so, for young and old alike, overdose may be just a stop away.