FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 27, 2019

Speaker Heastie Continues Annual Statewide Tour in the Hudson Valley with Assemblymember Barrett
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Speaker Carl Heastie today continued his annual statewide tour, joining Assemblymember Didi Barrett at the Dutchess County Stabilization Center in Poughkeepsie and touring Hudson Hemp in Columbia County.

"My statewide tour gives me the opportunity to see how communities in different parts of the state are handling and adapting to the challenges they face," Speaker Heastie said. "No one should have to forgo treatment because they can't afford it. The Dutchess County Stabilization Center is a great example of how the community is coming together to address mental health and substance use issues."

"The Hudson Valley is a critical part of New York's environment and economy," Assemblymember Barrett said. "I am so glad I was able to show Speaker Heastie how the Stabilization Center is making a difference in the lives and well-being of people in Dutchess County, as well as our vision to help even more people in rural communities. It was also my pleasure to show how Hudson Hemp is using sustainable methods to grow New York's agricultural community and economy."

Speaker Heastie and Assemblymember Barrett first visited the Dutchess County Stabilization Center, which offers services to help people address mental health and substance use crises. Guests are immediately connected to resources and support including crisis counseling, mental health assessments, supervised outpatient withdrawal services, addiction and substance use counseling, youth and family counseling and other services. The Stabilization Center is 100 percent voluntary, and patients can walk in and begin treatment or detox immediately. Patients are never denied services due to lack of insurance or inability to pay. Assemblymember Barrett secured state funding for the Stabilization Center when it first opened.

The second stop was a tour of Hudson Hemp at Old Mud Creek Farm. Hudson Hemp is in its second year of processing and shipping full-spectrum hemp oil distillate and cannabidiol (CBD) extracts for use in foods and wellness preparations. By utilizing regenerative farming techniques, they are able to produce ecologically sustainable agricultural products.

"Agriculture has always been an important part of New York's economy and hemp is now a growing part of that," Speaker Heastie said. "Hudson Hemp is doing an impressive job expanding the Hudson Valley's agricultural diversity while helping preserve the environment for future generations."