Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

 Nebraska will be going from the frying pan into the fire if legal medical marijuana is passed into law. In my state of Colorado, which passed “medical” marijuana in 2000, the scant income from the sale of cannabis is dwarfed by the increased costs of automobile accidents, driving under the influence, addiction treatment, educational problems, increased domestic and street violence, as well as a lowered perception of harm by teens. If legalized, weed will immediately become more accessible to teens.

Suicide is now the #1 cause of death in our youth ages 15-18 in Colorado. The #1 substance in their toxicology reports is THC, not alcohol or any other illicit substance. I formed a nonprofit, Johnny’s Ambassadors Youth THC Prevention, after our 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide in 2019 after becoming psychotic from using THC concentrates here in Colorado. He got a “medical” card at 18 and started thinking the mob was after him. We now educate parents, teens, and communities about the possible harms of youth THC use, mostly through school assemblies. See https://JohnnysAmbassadors.org/research for the facts.

Johnny’s Ambassadors currently has 1,632 Parents of Children with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (POCCIP) in our support group. We sadly welcome 10-20 new members each week. Teen marijuana psychosis is a silent epidemic no one is talking about. Many Nebraska parents would join this club no one wants to belong to if marijuana is legalized.

Our Scientific Advisory Board member, Dr. Karen Randall, an Emergency Department physician in Pueblo, CO, says she treats teens in the ED every day with episodes of acute psychosis, cyclical vomiting, and poisoning. If marijuana passes, you’ll suddenly see much of the same. Save your youth and SAY NO to legalization this fall!

Laura Stack

Founder & CEO, Johnny’s Ambassadors