Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc.

Johnny Stack died by suicide after becoming psychotic from high potency wax. Now saving our youth from the harms of THC products. Posts by mom Laura Stack.

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

HONORING JOHNNY'S 7TH ANGELVERSARY, NOV. 20, 2026

Dearest Johnny's Ambassadors,

On November 20, 2026, it will be seven years since my beloved 19-year-old son, Johnny, took his life. It's hard to believe it's been seven years.

When Johnny was experiencing Cannabis-Induced Psychosis, we couldn’t find anyone to help us. No one understood what was happening or that it was related to his THC use. No one told him to stop. No one thought it was addictive or that marijuana could do that. Insurance wouldn’t pay for anything, and there were no “treatment” programs, because hey, it wasn’t addictive. The doctors all said his psychosis and suicidality had to be the onset of schizophrenia, even though we have no mental illness in our family.

Sadly, after he died, we learned so much more about the connection between youth THC use, brain development, addiction, psychosis, and suicide. So, Johnny’s Ambassadors was born after Johnny died—not a very good replacement—but better than crying for the rest of my life.

Seven years later, Johnny's Ambassadors has 20,000 members, and sadly, 3,000 Parents of Children with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (POCCIP). That’s why Johnny’s Ambassadors exists. To keep your child from going down that path. To try to help parents whose children are going through it. To try to prevent teens from trying it in the first place. To save lives. And it’s working with the ones we touch. We need to reach more!

I've been frustrated over the years by all the disparate research on youth marijuana use. It's spread all over the place, federally, state-wide, and locally. It's hard to get your arms around the overall state of youth marijuana use in the U.S., so I decided to publish it myself.

As a small token of our appreciation for your donation of $25 of more, you will receive our brand-new 336-page publication, "The State of Youth Marijuana Use: Trends in the Prevalence and Harms of Youth marijuana Use in the United States."

The State of Youth Marijuana Use aims to be the most comprehensive overview to date of youth marijuana use and related outcomes. In line with Johnny’s Ambassadors’ focus on education and prevention rather than advocacy, the report does not endorse or oppose specific marijuana policies. Instead, the report attempts to present data in a balanced way, allowing readers to use the information however they choose.

NOTE this is a report about marijuana, plant species that contain greater than .3% Delta-9-THC according to the Farm Act of 2018 definition. Intoxicating hemp products are mentioned, but Delta-8-THC and derivative synthetic products are not covered in detail in this particular report. We understand and recognize their dangers, and that is a different report.

Chapter 1 summarizes the latest trends in youth marijuana use, while Chapter 2 examines the risk and protective factors that underlie youth marijuana use. Chapter 3 explores the associations between youth marijuana use and non-substance outcomes, such as mental health, academic performance, and antisocial behavior. Chapters 4 and 5 highlight various health outcomes, including deaths and emergency department visits. Chapter 6 covers additional topics related to marijuana use, including arrests for the possession of marijuana, individuals driving under the influence of marijuana and public opinion. Chapter 7 reviews interventions that are focused on preventing the initiation of youth marijuana use and helping current users quit.

No single report can capture every aspect of youth marijuana use. Even so, we hope this resource will help parents, prevention professionals, advocates, and policymakers better understand the available evidence. Please support our efforts to improve the health and well-being of young people and their communities by preventing youth marijuana use.

If you prefer to mail a check, send it to Johnny's Ambassadors, 4242 Hickory Oaks Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104. For DAF accounts, please use EIN 85-0593925. Or text johnny7 to 5129205521.

We need your support to continue to provide teens with this important prevention message. Will you help with an end-of-year contribution to honor Johnny and the work he continues to do here on earth?

I promise you I will fight to save the lives of our children with every bit of strength I have left in my days. Thank you for supporting our work and giving me your love. It has saved me.

Thank you for helping us save our youth from the harms of cannabis!

https://t.co/kDnB38soRN

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Red Ribbon week was started in 1988 in response to the murder of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena to prevent drug use. In honor of #RedRibbonWeek, download your complimentary eBook copy of CIP AND ME: How Cannabis-Induced Psychosis Ruined My Mind and My Life, and How I Came Out the Other Side from Oct. 26-30! https://t.co/UfDld7xRt0

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Thank you @LarryBergerSupt for allowing us to use the beautiful Pearland ISD Virgil Gant Education Support Center for our event! Love to return any time to give assemblies for middle and high school students in Pearland to educate them about what can happen if they use these high THC products.

[Kevin Sabet @KevinSabet]

Want to know where teens use the most marijuana?

Here's a clue. Look where the industry is.

All 11 places with the highest teen use have legal marijuana. Maine leads at nearly 1 in 10 kids. None of the 6 lowest have legalized.

https://t.co/WqyrzD90R2

[KFinn, MD @CoDoc442]

DEA Judge Pauses Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing As Opponents Highlight Government Report Detailing ‘Gaps’ In Federal Processes

https://t.co/mEitzAIPW4

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Today is 988 Day – please share

988 Day (September 8) is a national initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and emphasizing the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.

Whatever you’re facing, big or small, your reason for seeking support is reason enough.

I wish 988 had been around when Johnny took his life – maybe he might have texted or called to talk with someone when he was feeling suicidal.

Call or text 988, 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
https://t.co/NvKShQsk09

[Yasmin Hurd, PhD @neurovoice]

In 2025, nearly 1 in 8 young adults reported daily cannabis use.

When paired with highly potent products and a brain that is still developing, the cognitive risks of this record-high use are especially troubling 🧠

Read more here: https://t.co/sLQMTqRQeV

[PopPot Illinois @PopPotIllinois]

Wed night, Sep 9: #THCFreeAmerica Tour - Chicago
Kenwood Academy High School
5015 S. Blackstone Avenue
Chicago, IL  60615 5:45 - arrival
6:00 to 7:00 PM - seminar with Laura Stack
7:00 to 8:00 PM - Q&A and community conversation
Cost: $0 https://t.co/Nf5TD3zbst

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

We were so honored to have you speak at our conference! Everyone loved your session and learned so much about the impacts of THC on the adolescent brain.

[Yasmin Hurd, PhD @neurovoice]

Today’s potent #cannabis products pose a risk to the mental health of adolescents.

To the brave parents turning their pain into advocacy, thank you for all you do at @JohnnyKStack & for inviting me to speak at your conference ♥️

Learn more here: https://t.co/xqUw0mZ1bI

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Tell Congress: Oppose Efforts to Delay or Weaken the Federal Law Closing the Intoxicating Hemp Loophole

In November 2025 Congress enacted Public Law 119-37, which closes the federal loophole that has allowed highly intoxicating hemp-derived THC products to be marketed and sold nationwide as "legal hemp."

Now, some lawmakers, at the urging of the intoxicating Hemp Industry are attempting to delay, weaken, or overturn this important public health and consumer protection law using the FY 27 Continuing Resolution as the vehicle. We strongly oppose efforts to include a further implementation delay of the provisions in Public Law 119-37 that closed the hemp loophole in the FY 2027 Continuing Resolution now being considered by Congress.

We encourage you to make sure your voice is heard. Please click HERE to contact your U.S. Congressional Delegation today and urge them to oppose these efforts by the industry, including proposals that would postpone implementation beyond the current one-year timeline.

https://t.co/dSF46ROuqX

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Please help us fund three very important initiatives to prevent youth THC use this coming year!

https://t.co/gx1Ucmg1Yf

It's that time of year again - time for the Johnny's Ambassadors annual fundraiser! We hold this event once a year during Suicide Prevention Month to help us fund our most pressing upcoming needs to save our youth from the harms of THC. Our goal is to raise $100,000 by September 30, 2026, for the following initiatives:

​1. School Assemblies

We have a long list of schools that would LOVE to have an assembly, but they don't have the budget or the grant funding to allow them to bring Johnny's Ambassadors to their school. So, this year, we are raising funds to help schools in need! We'll give $50,000 of the goal in scholarships for middle and high school assemblies for those on our waiting list. The scholarship will waive the $5000 assembly fee, and schools will only pay a flat fee to cover travel costs. Please see below for a sample of some of those eager schools and why they are excited to receive your scholarship!

​2. Evidence-Based Designation

We need $25,000 to have our assemblies and online curriculum evaluated for evidence-based training. We already have the pre- and post-assessment work done, so we have a neutral outside university lined up to evaluate our data under their statistician and publish the results. This evidence-based certification will allow us to apply for more grant-based and federal funding to help even more students in the future.

​3. TikTok Video Targeting

We are seeking $25,000 in funding to work with a media company on a new technology called "geo fencing," to directly serve up educational content to teens who go to school within a particular radius of a city. We are starting with hot spots in Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Seattle. A 90-minute radius is drawn around those cities, so hundreds of thousands of teens will receive ads to their device via TikTok and websites they visit afterward. The call to action will allow them to join Johnny's Ambassadors’ new national youth leadership council!

https://t.co/gx1Ucmg1Yf

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Today, July 10, is 710 Day Dab. Make sure you know where your teens are at 7:10 PM today. What is it? https://t.co/wvtZNJjmzx

Today we share from the Drug Report:

"Given that July 4–10 is National Marijuana Facts Week, the Drug Report has compiled a list of facts from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:

* 64.2 million Americans aged 12 or older, including 2.7 million between the ages of 12–17, used marijuana in the past year. This number corresponds to 22.3% of Americans aged 12 or older and 10.4% of those between the ages of 12–17.
* 20.6 million Americans aged 12 or older––or approximately one in three past-year marijuana users––had a marijuana use disorder in the past year. This condition is characterized by continued use despite negative consequences and is informally known as addiction to marijuana.
* 35.2% of 12–17-year-olds thought there was a great risk of harm associated with smoking marijuana once or twice a week. In comparison, 76.2% thought there was a great risk of harm associated with using cocaine once or twice a week, while 76.1% thought the same about heroin.
* 34.9% of 12–17-year-olds said it would be fairly easy or very easy to obtain marijuana. In comparison, it was 7.6% for cocaine and 4.7% for heroin.
* 11.7 million Americans aged 16 or older drove under the influence of marijuana in the past year, corresponding to 4.3% of this population. Among 21–25-year-olds, the percentage doubled to 8.6%.
* 102,000 pregnant women between the ages of 15–44 used marijuana in the past month. In comparison, 95,000 drank alcohol in the past month.
* 53% of individuals aged 18 or older with a marijuana use disorder also had a mental illness. In comparison, 41% of adults with an alcohol use disorder also had a mental illness.
* 10.8% of past-year marijuana users aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. In comparison, 5.8% of past-year alcohol users aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year.

Created by Johnny’s Ambassadors in 2021, National Marijuana Facts Week “raises public awareness about the dangers of today’s high-potency marijuana and THC products on adolescent brain development, mental illnesses such as Cannabis-Induced Psychosis, and suicidality.”

[Parent Action Network @parentactionSAM]

Part 2 of Myths & Facts slideshow for National Marijuana Facts Week (#NMFW)

@JohnnyKStack

[Omni Youth Programs @OmniYouthPrgm]

"I still worry every single day. Every time he leaves the house, I wonder if he’s going to buy cannabis. Every morning I wonder if he’ll wake up with schizophrenia, because I know this is still possible."

Share your THC story

https://t.co/tPVD75yNLQ

#NMFW @JohnnyKStack

[Luke Niforatos @LukeNiforatos]

Incredibly proud of Dr. Ken Finn and @JohnnyKStack for their groundbreaking work at the hearing today.

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

@parentactionSAM Love this! Thank you!

[Parent Action Network @parentactionSAM]

July 4-10 is National Marijuana Facts Week, created to raise public awareness about the dangers of today’s high potency THC products.

Each day this week, PAN will post a new series of myths and facts on the impacts of today's marijuana.
@JohnnyKStack

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Welcome to National Marijuana Facts Week! https://t.co/WBKLXMWsVx

The Association Between Major Depressive Disorder and Cannabis Use Disorder: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis

A 2026 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, which reviewed the findings of 55 prior studies, found that approximately 31% of individuals with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had major depressive disorder (MDD). The study, led by researchers in Brazil, also found that approximately 10% of people with MDD had CUD. The researchers concluded that “cannabis use may exacerbate depressive symptoms, while individuals with MDD are at an increased risk of developing CUD.” This study helps to illustrate how marijuana use and depression often exacerbate each other, highlighting why policymakers should further invest in prevention and treatment interventions.

https://t.co/FXKeJlLobO

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

Step Up to Save Our Children with Denise Mayer podcast https://t.co/TcKiMBX4pV #johnny #s #TalkwalkerAlerts via @talkwalker

[Johnny's Ambassadors, Inc. @JohnnyKStack]

@AnnCoulter Correct
https://t.co/QtjvS5kKA9