All posts by Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, PS-C

Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, PS-C

About Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, PS-C

Scott M. Gagnon, MPP, PS-C is a Certified Prevention Specialist and is the Director of Operations at AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc. He currently serves on the Maine Substance Abuse Services Commission as well as the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention National Advisory Council. Scott volunteers as the Chair of the marijuana policy education and advocacy group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana Maine and is the current Board President of the Maine Council on Problem Gambling. Scott also serves as a Co-chair of the Prevention & Harm Reduction task force of the Maine Opiate Collaborative, the effort convened by U.S. Attorney Thomas E Delahanty, II to address Maine's growing opiate and addiction crisis. Scott is the recipient of the 2015 Maine Public Health Association's Ruth S. Shaper Memorial Award and 2015 Healthy Androscoggin Will Bartlett Award and is also the 2013 recipient of the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse Prevention Award.

This Fourth of July weekend, be safe, be considerate

Happy Fourth of July weekend!  At least here at the homestead in Gray, it’s shaping up to be a beautiful, marvelous weekend.  I anticipate a weekend of grilling, sprinklers, and maybe a round of mini-golf.  Here’s hoping you and yours are able to enjoy some fund activities this holiday weekend. Of course, two popular activities […]

These three things could ease the opiate epidemic right now

As was reported by the Bangor Daily News, a week ago the Maine Opiate Collaborative unveiled its final report on the recommendations it was making to fight the opiate crisis in Maine.  The Maine Opiate Collaborative consists of three task forces, law enforcement, treatment, and prevention, that were convened by U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty after […]

New poll shows Maine marijuana initiative is losing support

The Bangor Daily News reported late last night that a new Critical Insights poll conducted this past march showed 55% of respondents, a mix of registered voters and likely voters, favored legalizing marijuana.  The questions regarding marijuana legalization in the poll were funded by the Marijuana Policy Project, in other words, the marijuana industry.  As I […]

The failed promises of marijuana legalization, cautionary tales for Maine

BDN File

If you’ve been following this column, and my comment section and page visits makes clear many of you are, you know I’ve written extensively about the failure of marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington.  Well, this week has seen multiple stories highlighting yet more negative consequences from legalization along with failed promises from legalization advocates. […]

Marijuana would worsen, not improve, the opiate crisis

Back in October 2015, U.S Attorney Thomas Delahanty recruited around 3 dozen professionals from around Maine to sit on the three task forces making up the Maine Opiate Collaborative.  The law enforcement, treatment, and prevention task forces were to charged with developing comprehensive, evidence-based strategies to address the worsening heroin crisis.  Along with my fellow […]

Overruling of Secretary of State will encourage more fraud in citizen’s initiative process

Good Saturday to you, after a bit of a blogging sabbatical I am back. In case you missed the news (which would be hard because Maine media outlets have been posting articles to social media practically every hour), Justice Murphy overruled the Secretary of State’s invalidation of the marijuana referendum petition.  The initiative is now […]

Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol petition drive should be investigated

BDN File

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to hear of the news that the petition from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was ruled invalid and would not qualify for the November 2016 ballot. This is great news for communities and public health in Maine.  This result provides some solace that, at least for another election cycle, […]

Marijuana legalization supporters attempt to silence opposition through intimidation and stigma

The other Bangor Daily News blog that writes about marijuana, Cannabis Today, published an article bemoaning “simplistic rhetoric.” In her article, Wellness Connection’s Becky DeKeuster takes issue with Representative Deborah Sanderson’s reference to the potential Wal-Martization of the marijuana industry in Maine. Wellness Connection, which runs half of Maine’s dispensaries, takes issue with that label. More […]

On being a recovery ally

Once again I turn over Smart Approaches to my friend and colleague Alison Jones Webb. This week she has a great piece on what it means to be a recovery ally. This has been one of the more rewarding aspects of my work as a prevention specialist and in my role as Director at AdCare […]

Maine medical marijuana industry seeking to cash in on the heroin epidemic

BDN File

It has been heartening to see all of the efforts and initiatives start up across Maine to address the heroin crisis.  Police departments and sheriff’s departments are looking to start up referral and diversion programs to get people suffering into treatment.  Public health coalitions are setting up forums to put together plans to implement in […]