Laura Stack's Powerful Mission: Sharing the Dangerous Truth About Today's Marijuana

A Mother's Mission: Laura Stack's Powerful Message on Youth Marijuana Prevention

When bestselling author and national speaker Laura Stack took the stage last week at the Elmwood Community Center in West Hartford, CT the room fell silent. What followed was not just a presentation - it was a raw, heartfelt mission to save lives through education, honesty, and unwavering dedication to protecting youth from the dangers of today's high-potency marijuana.

From Tragedy to Transformation

Laura Stack's story begins with unimaginable loss. On November 20, 2019, her 19-year-old son Johnny died by suicide after struggling with cannabis-induced psychosis from dabbing high-potency THC concentrates. Just three days before his death, Johnny told his mother words that would forever change her life: "I want you to know you were right. You told me marijuana would hurt my brain. It's ruined my mind and my life, and I'm sorry. I love you."

Johnny was not a troubled teen. He was intelligent, funny, charming, and had a 4.0 GPA with a college scholarship. He was loved deeply by his family. But like many teens in Colorad (the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012) Johnny began using high-potency THC products at age 14. What his family didn't know then, but Laura now dedicates her life to teaching others, is that early teen use combined with frequent, high-potency marijuana use can be devastating to the developing adolescent brain.

Johnny's Ambassadors: A Legacy of Hope

In the wake of Johnny's death, Laura channeled her grief into action. She founded Johnny's Ambassadors, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating parents, teens, and communities about the dangers of today's high-THC marijuana products on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide.

The organization's mission is clear and urgent: there is NO safe level of THC in the developing adolescent mind. Contrary to popular misconceptions, marijuana does not help teen stress, anxiety, or depression—it can make these conditions dramatically worse and even lead to psychosis and suicidal ideation.

Laura and her husband now travel across the United States speaking over 200 times per year at school assemblies, prevention conferences, and community events. They provide education to teens, parents, schools, healthcare providers, anti-drug coalitions, communities, and government agencies.

The Book That's Changing Lives

In July 2021, Laura published The Dangerous Truth About Today's Marijuana: Johnny Stack's Life and Death Story. This 300-page book, complete with 176 scientific citations, is both Johnny's life story and a comprehensive resource backed by recent scientific research on how today's potent THC products lead to mental illnesses in adolescents, including anxiety, depression, paranoia, psychosis, and suicidal ideation.

All proceeds from the book go directly to Johnny's Ambassadors, ensuring that every copy sold furthers the mission to educate and protect youth. The book has become a bestseller and an essential resource for parents, educators, and anyone who works with teens.

The #StopDabbing Movement

One of the most important aspects of Laura's work is educating families about dabbing—the practice of inhaling concentrated THC products that can contain up to 99% THC. These are not natural products; they're created through chemical extraction processes and are incredibly potent. The concentrated forms include shatter, wax, and sugar, and they're far more dangerous than the marijuana of previous generations.

Laura's #StopDabbing campaign seeks to bring awareness to this particular danger and to debunk the false narrative that teen marijuana use is "natural, safe, and harmless." According to national data, 7 out of 10 high school seniors do not use marijuana - challenging the common teen belief that "everyone is doing it."

An Unforgettable Presentation

Watching Laura Stack present is witnessing courage in its rawest form. She shares her personal tragedy with honesty and vulnerability, while backing every claim with scientific research. Her presentation style combines the polished professionalism of her decades as a corporate speaker with the authentic emotion of a mother who refuses to let her son's death be in vain.

Laura's message is neither preachy nor alarmist - it's educational, factual, and desperately needed. She provides practical resources for parents, warning signs to watch for, and actionable steps that families can take. She meets her audience where they are, whether speaking to skeptical teens who've been told marijuana is harmless or to panicked parents who've just discovered their child is using.

A Call to Action

Laura Stack sees it as her responsibility to share Johnny's warning: "Marijuana ruined my mind and my life." Her vision is dramatic but achievable - to decrease adolescent marijuana usage, change the false perception of safety, reduce mental illness and suicide, and allow our youth to live productive, happy lives.

Her work is supported by Johnny's own words, by peer-reviewed scientific research, and by the growing number of families who have experienced similar tragedies but had nowhere to turn for support or education.

Supporting the Mission

Johnny's Ambassadors continues to expand its reach through:

• School assembly presentations reaching thousands of students

• Parent education programs

• Professional training for educators and healthcare providers

• A documentary titled Cannabis Induced Psychosis: The Silent Epidemic

• Ongoing webinar series featuring medical experts

• Public service announcement campaigns

• Community fundraising events

All donations to the organization are 100% tax-deductible (EIN 85-0593925) and go directly toward education and prevention efforts.

Final Thoughts

Laura Stack's presentation left an indelible mark on everyone in attendance. Here is a woman who could have retreated from public life in her grief. Instead, she has chosen to use her considerable talents, her established platform, and her painful experience to become one of the nation's leading voices in youth marijuana prevention.

Her message is one every parent, educator, and community leader needs to hear. Johnny Stack's story is heartbreaking, but through his mother's tireless advocacy, it has become a catalyst for change - a warning that has the power to save countless young lives.

To learn more about Johnny's Ambassadors, read Laura's book, invite her to speak at your school or organization, or support this vital mission, visit johnnysambassadors.org.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use or mental health issues, please reach out for help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.