In this thoughtful conversation on WBZ Boston, Shane Leonard, co-founder and CEO of Into Action Recovery, shares his perspective on the growing normalization of marijuana use and what it means for individuals, families, and communities.
As recreational cannabis becomes legal in more states across the country, many people view it as relatively harmless. While Shane acknowledges that legalization is unlikely to be reversed, he believes the conversation needs to shift toward education, responsibility, and understanding the real risks, especially for young people.
Drawing on more than sixteen years of experience helping individuals overcome substance use disorders, Shane explains why adolescents and young adults are particularly vulnerable. Because their brains are still developing, regular cannabis use can have consequences that many families underestimate.
Transcript
WBZ: Joining us is Shane Leonard. Shane is an addiction expert, and he’s with a group called Action Recovery Centers. First of all, Shane, welcome to Nightside, but tell us exactly what Action Recovery Centers are. I think I should know from the title, but you can explain it, I’m sure, more effectively.
Shane: Well, it’s actually Into Action Recovery Centers.
WBZ: I’m sorry. Okay. Into Action Recovery Centers. So get let’s with that correction, you go right ahead.
Shane: Yeah. We have all levels of care from detox, residential, PHP, IOP, primarily based in Houston, Texas. We do have an office in Roanoke, Virginia, and we treat substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders, so behavioral health and substance abuse.
WBZ: Okay. You hit me with a few acronyms there. I wanna make sure people understand what those meant.
Shane: Sorry about that. Substance use disorder. IOP is intensive outpatient. PHP is partial hospitalization. Residential treatment is and detox, or detoxification are all in a controlled setting, whereas the outpatient levels of care start at PHP, then down to IOP.
Sorry to confuse that.
WBZ: You know better than I that, only in recent years, you have, as recreational marijuana became legal, certainly here in Massachusetts, it started off with medicinal marijuana. But it looks as if Gen X, who were people, I guess, who were born in the mid to late eighties and into, I guess, up until 1996. So people who are now in their thirties or maybe even creeping into their forties, they’re using cannabis quite a bit. In some cases in lieu of alcohol, as I understand the story that I’ve read.
Shane: You know, to me, do we really need another thing? The genie’s already out of the bottle. I mean, there’s no way to get it back in. Yeah. Here we are.
24 states, it’s perfectly legal for recreational use. Yep. If you’ve been to Las Vegas to try to go on a trip, my wife and I were married in Las Vegas, and we try to go back for our anniversaries. And I just refuse to go because it’s just rancid. The smell is pungent.
WBZ: It’s Contact highs everywhere, I guess, is what you’re saying. I am not a devotee of cannabis. Okay? So you’re talking to the converter here, but a lot of my listeners, I’m sure, are. For me, my favorite drug is a glass of red wine with dinner or maybe a light beer, Coors Light ahead of time.
But that’s something I know I can handle. What advice would you give to people who, with recreational marijuana now becoming available, easy to purchase, what advice would you give them either before they start or if they’re thinking about starting?
Shane: You know, the best advice that I would give is, first of all, don’t mix it with another drug. You know, we can debate; I could debate anyone all night long on is cannabis a gateway drug or not. It’s neither here nor there. Yep. Forty percent of all fatality crashes involve cannabis, and most involve cannabis and a mixture of alcohol.
So please do it responsibly. Young people shouldn’t fool with it at all. Cannabis use starts generally in this country around age 14, which is probably about the same for drinking. I don’t wanna be hypocritical. I’m a recovering alcoholic.
I’ve been sober almost seventeen years. And I can tell you, it was very illegal. It still is very illegal here in Texas. And, you know, it’s just an just like anything else: do it in moderation and don’t mix with other drugs, particularly alcohol.
WBZ: Yeah. Here’s one of the things that is curious to me. I know a little bit about this as a lawyer and as a broadcaster. And if someone is out and has had, you know, eight or six or five or six beers and they get pulled over, they’re asked to take a breathalyzer. My understanding is there’s no way in which there’s no equivalent for marijuana as the alcohol breathalyzer.
So, therefore, whenever there’s an accident, you know, it’ll be reported, oh, you know, the the guy had a point one six alcohol, which is a great reminder to people to drink in moderation if they’re gonna drink. Okay? But there’s no equivalent standard for marijuana. And when marijuana recreationally first became available in I think it was in Colorado and maybe Oregon, I figured you’re gonna see a spike in automobile fatalities, and law enforcement authorities will be able to say, okay, we’ve got a twenty three percent spike here, and, you know, we we have had twenty five more deaths or two hundred more deaths or whatever it is, but I never see it broken down. The cannabis industry, I think, is very strong, stronger than the alcohol industry.
They learn from the alcohol industry. Am I right or wrong on that, Shane?
Shane: Well, you’re absolutely right. There is zero quick tests to roadside tests for that. So if you if you’re drinking, they’re gonna test you for that. The only other test you’re gonna get is an autopsy, which is unfortunate.
WBZ: Right. And those tend not to become publicized because they they I think they fall under HIPAA and privacy considerations. It’s
Shane: Absolutely. It’s protected health information. Not only that, but, you know, you’re right. The the lobby and and the the groundswell of support for legal cannabis, it’s not a moral objection to me. It’s simply we just don’t need another substance introduced into our country for young people.
It’s about the young kids. If you’re in your forties, fifties, I don’t care what you do. I don’t care what you do anyway. You’re gonna do it anyhow, but, you know, we have over 10,000 clients come through our doors in the sixteen years we’ve been open. And I can tell you for a fact that many of the younger people that have come in with cannabis use disorder, their lives are just a mess.
And their brains aren’t developed. They’re not making good decisions. It’s illegal in one state, but the adjacent state is not. They’re getting in lots of legal trouble for going to get weed for their buddies or edibles.
WBZ: Yeah.
Shane: And and and it’s just it’s unfortunate. And, again, the toothpaste is not going back in the tube at this point, but we gotta do a little more education. And I might add this, that cannabis use disorder is not covered by insurance for adults. You have to make a very compelling argument for somebody who’s 18 or 19. So even the treatment industry doesn’t frown upon it.
I was reading an article about another organization, and I don’t care to mention any names, but that was just so irresponsible in my mind’s eye to say that, well, cannabis use disorder. Well, it’s not that great because they don’t get paid on it by insurance. If they were getting paid for it by insurance, I promise you, they would really dramatize it.
WBZ: I would agree. Shane, I appreciate your time. How can folks get into get information from, info act, into action recovery centers? What’s the best website?
Shane: The best website? It’s so long. I’m a terrible marketer. I’m sorry. It’s www.intoactionrecovery.com.
WBZ: Yeah. And you don’t need any more of that www stuff. I can shorten it up for you. Intointoactionrecovery.com. Appreciate it, Shane, very much.
Keep fighting. Okay? Thank you, sir.
Shane: Hey. Thank you so much for having me.
Concerned About Cannabis, Alcohol, or Substance Use? Into Action Recovery Can Help.
Cannabis use may be more normalized than ever, but if marijuana, alcohol, or another substance is affecting your health, relationships, work, school, or peace of mind, you do not have to figure it out alone. Into Action Recovery Centers provides compassionate, evidence-informed treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health concerns, with levels of care that include detox, residential treatment, PHP, and IOP.
If you or someone you love is struggling, now is the time to take the next step. Learn more about treatment options and speak with a team that understands recovery.
