Jeffrey Reynolds named lone Long Island voice on cannabis panel

Jeffrey L. Reynolds, Ph.D., president and CEO of Family & Children’s Association, was appointed Jan. 6 to New York State’s Cannabis Education Advisory Panel, becoming the only representative from Long Island among 15 members charged with advising the Office of Cannabis Management. The panel will help develop culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate cannabis education materials and public health campaigns aimed at youth, families and the adults who care for them.

The advisory group will coordinate with state health and addiction agencies and is expected to convene regularly over the coming year to guide messaging, ensure scientific accuracy and shape outreach to parents, caregivers and trusted adults. That work will influence materials distributed across school districts, health clinics and community organizations — places where Suffolk County families turn for guidance on substance use and prevention.

Reynolds’ selection matters locally because it gives Long Island a direct line into how the state frames prevention and family-focused education. Family & Children’s Association serves households across the region, and Reynolds’ role on the panel creates an opportunity to center the lived experiences of Suffolk County families in statewide campaigns. Local leaders and service providers often stress that one-size-fits-all messaging misses cultural, linguistic and developmental differences among communities. The panel’s explicit charge to produce culturally responsive materials is intended to address those gaps.

Public health officials emphasize that clear, developmentally appropriate education can reduce harm by helping parents and caregivers recognize risks, model safe behaviors and talk with young people in age-appropriate ways. The advisory panel’s work to verify scientific accuracy and coordinate with addiction agencies aims to align prevention messages with clinical evidence and treatment resources, closing the divide between outreach and care. For Suffolk County, where access to behavioral health services and culturally tailored prevention can vary by neighborhood, more accurate and targeted messaging could improve early intervention and referral to local supports.

The appointment also raises questions about equity in how cannabis-related information is shared. Communities that have disproportionately borne the consequences of past cannabis policy changes need outreach that acknowledges those histories and builds trust. Having a Long Island representative on a statewide advisory body is one step toward ensuring local concerns inform statewide public health strategies.

Our two cents? Keep an eye on materials from the Office of Cannabis Management and local health partners over the next year, ask schools and pediatric providers what resources they will use, and expect community organizations like FCA to play a role in translating state guidance into neighborhood-level conversations parents and caregivers can actually use.