The Re.Center NRV

08/28/2026

08/16/2026

Two things can be true at once.

You can advocate for responsible adult access to cannabis, recognize its legitimate medical benefits, and support the environmental, agricultural, and industrial potential of the broader cannabis and h**p industry.

And at the exact same time, you can advocate for stronger protections around underage use.

Those ideas do not contradict each other.

Supporting legalization or adult access does not mean we should pretend cannabis is risk-free for every person, at every age, in every situation. We should be talking honestly about brain development, age of first use, potency, responsible storage, impaired driving, product labeling, marketing, and keeping products out of the hands of kids.

But regulation alone isn't enough.

We also have to educate parents, families, schools, and communities.

Young people don't make decisions in a vacuum. They are influenced by what they see, what they hear, what is available to them, how adults talk about substances, what their friends are doing, what they're dealing with emotionally, and whether they have trusted people they can actually talk to.

We learned the hard way with alcohol that simply saying "don't do it" isn't education.

Fear isn't education.

Stigma isn't prevention.

And pretending something doesn't exist definitely isn't prevention.

We can support adults making informed choices while also giving young people accurate, age-appropriate information and giving parents the tools to have real conversations with their kids.

That's what responsible policy and prevention should look like.

Not cannabis is all good.

Not cannabis is all bad.

Education. Regulation. Honest conversation. Harm reduction. Responsible adult use. Youth protection.

Two things can be true at once.

08/14/2026

There are a lot of people with very strong opinions about what somebody else's recovery is supposed to look like.

Abstinence. THC. Medication. Caffeine. Meetings. Therapy. Labels. What "counts." What doesn't.

Meanwhile, sometimes we spend so much time inspecting someone else's healing that we never stop to look at our own behavior.

And that is the part I think we need to talk about.

You can abstain from every substance on earth and still gossip, shame people, manipulate, refuse accountability, live in constant anger, treat people poorly, and create chaos everywhere you go.

And somebody else can take medication, recover differently than you did, or follow a pathway you don't completely understand while quietly rebuilding their life, repairing relationships, becoming healthier, learning how to regulate themselves, reconnecting with community, and becoming someone they are proud to be.

Recovery is not a purity contest.

That doesn't mean every behavior is healthy.

It doesn't mean accountability disappears.

It doesn't mean THC, medication, abstinence, harm reduction, 12-step recovery, therapy, or any other pathway is right for every person.

It means maybe we should stop trying to make one person's pathway the universal measuring stick for everybody else.

One of my favorite recovery sayings has always been:

"Keep your side of the street clean before you start worrying about somebody else's."

I wrote a much longer piece about this because I think the conversation deserves more than a graphic.

It's about recovery.

But it's also about judgment, stigma, humility, accountability, healing, and the uncomfortable question of whether we are actually modeling the wellness we expect from everybody around us.

Read: "Keep Your Side of the Street Clean: Recovery Is Not a Purity Contest" on The Re.Center NRV website.

➡️ Full blog at the link in our bio.

Healing is personal.

Recovery can take different forms.

Accountability still matters.

And maybe all of us could spend a little more time tending our own side of the street.

Healing Happens Through Connection.

The Re.Center NRV offers peer-led recovery and wellness support rooted in connection, resilience, and community care across the New River Valley.

07/23/2026

RECOVERY BELONGS IN EVERY ROOM. 💜

The Re.Center NRV is at the Root & Rise Symposium at Roanoke College, July 23-25, 2026 — learning, connecting, sharing practical wellness tools, and opening honest conversations about cannabis, alcohol, recovery, mental health, regulation literacy, and community.

TONIGHT — THURSDAY, JULY 23 Welcome Block Party | 6:00-10:00 p.m. | Downtown Salem The public event page does not list the exact street entrance, so registered attendees should check their event email or app.

FRIDAY, JULY 24 Networking breakfast | 8:00-9:00 a.m. Symposium sessions + expo | 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Awards dinner + reception | 7:00-10:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 Networking breakfast | 9:00-10:00 a.m. Closing keynote + expo | 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Farewell lunch | 1:00-2:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday daytime programming is at the Cregger Center, Roanoke College, 287 High Street, Salem, VA 24153.

Come find The Re.Center NRV table for educational resources, practical regulation tools, goodies and giveaways, and a judgment-free conversation. Our message is simple: cannabis can help some people and harm some people; alcohol is a proven carcinogen; recovery has many pathways; and healing happens through connection. Evidence before ideology. Lived experience with humility. Recovery with room for many pathways.

07/03/2026

Cooling Centers in the NRV. It’s going to be hot the next couple of days.

04/23/2026

Check out this free health screening event this Saturday at the Agape Center NRV!

04/23/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The next semi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10 AM - 2 PM.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the New River Valley will once again be participating in this national initiative. This is a FREE, convenient, and safe way for you to dispose of your unused or expired prescription medications (pills and patches only).

04/21/2026

🚨 TODAY IS THE DAY! 🚨

We need donors AND volunteers to help make this blood drive a success.
If you’ve been thinking about donating… this is your moment.

🩸 Blood Drive at Virginia Tech
📅 Today, April 21
⏰ 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
(The Waterfall Room)

Make your appointment now:
🔗 RedCrossBlood.org
Use sponsor code: VETMED

Every donation helps save lives—and right now, the need is real.

If you can’t donate, we could still use your help volunteering. Show up, support, spread the word.

Bring a friend. Take an hour. Make an impact.