By Karla McArthur, Education Correspondent
Laura Stack, founder and CEO of Johnny’s Ambassadors, cautioned her 14-year-old son, Johnny, against marijuana use after he admitted trying it at his first high school party. Surprised by his choice, Stack told her son — a gifted math student — that the drug could have negative effects and that he shouldn’t put his “genius math mind” at risk.
After what Stack called “the mom lecture,” she expected the issue to end there. “It’s just weed; what’s the big deal?” she recalled thinking. Having tried marijuana as a teen, she considered it a relatively harmless drug.
Stack never realized that one incident at one party would lead to years of THC addiction that ultimately prompted her son, Johnny, to take his own life.
In response to her loss, Stack founded Johnny’s Ambassadors, a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to educating students and parents across the United States about the dangers of highly concentrated THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis.
Through Johnny’s Ambassadors, Stack works to educate families and teens about the marijuana of today. “I thought Johnny was smoking the same type of marijuana that I had tried,” Stack said, unaware of the dramatic increase in potency and the rise of products such as dabs, vapes and edibles — all of which can have harmful effects on adolescent brain development.
Research highlighted on the Johnny’s Ambassadors website notes that today’s high-potency marijuana can cause addiction, mental health issues and a higher incidence of suicide when used recreationally and illegally by those under 21.
On Oct. 2, sixth graders from the Etowah County School System gathered at The Venue in Gadsden to hear Stack’s presentation about the dangers of high-potency marijuana. Her presentation not only educates students about the drug but also offers strategies for resisting peer pressure.
Stack told her audience that THC is a psychoactive drug and that its potency is much higher today than in the past. She explained that in 1969, the marijuana being smoked contained about 1 percent THC per gram of dried flower. By the 1980s, that figure had increased to about 2 percent per gram. The percentage rose modestly through the 1990s and averaged around 20 percent until the onset of “dabs.”
With new technology, manufacturers are now able to extract THC from marijuana plants to create concentrates that can be used in nearly any solid or liquid product. These concentrates typically range from 60 percent to 90 percent THC.
THC, known as an “imposter molecule,” is fat-soluble and binds to receptors in the human brain. Stack explained that this is especially dangerous for adolescents and teens whose brains are still developing.
Johnny’s Ambassadors describes itself as “an army of educated advocates who are going out into the world and starting tough conversations.” Stack uses a straightforward, honest approach with students that helps her build quick rapport.
Through education and awareness, Stack and Johnny’s Ambassadors continue to spread their message nationwide, urging students and parents to learn the facts about high-potency THC and its risks.
For more information about Johnny’s Ambassadors or to book Laura Stack to speak, visit the charity’s website at https://johnnysambassadors.org/
