Nationally known speaker and youth marijuana prevention advocate Laura Stack will visit Drew and Bradley counties next week to speak with parents, caregivers and community leaders about the dangers of high-potency marijuana products and their impact on adolescent mental health.
Stack, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Johnny’s Ambassadors, will lead two assemblies in Monticello on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The first will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. at Billies Arena, followed by a 1 to 2 p.m. session at the Drew Central Auditorium. A third assembly is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Warren Arena in Warren.
The events are free and open to the public, and no advance registration is required. Visitors must check in through the front office before entering.
Stack’s advocacy work began after the death of her 19-year-old son, Johnny, who died by suicide on Nov. 20, 2019. Stack says her son became psychotic after using high-THC marijuana concentrates, a type of product increasingly accessible to teens. After his death, she shifted from a 30-year career as a productivity expert and bestselling author to founding Johnny’s Ambassadors, which focuses on educating families about the risks of modern marijuana products.
During the assemblies, Stack will share her personal story along with research linking high-potency THC to adolescent brain development issues, mental illness and suicide risk. She will also discuss data from Colorado — where medical marijuana has been legal for more than a decade — pointing to rising youth suicide rates and the prevalence of THC in toxicology reports of minors.
“Today’s THC products are lab-designed, high-potency and dangerous for the developing brains of young people,” Stack said in a statement. “We must educate ourselves about the dangers of high-THC marijuana, and these assemblies are an opportunity for youth, parents and community members to learn about the issue.”
The events are sponsored by Judge Teresa French of the 10th Judicial District Circuit Court, Division 5, Juvenile Drug Court.
More information about Johnny’s Ambassadors is available at JohnnysAmbassadors.org.
