Laura Stack’s 19-year-old son Johnny died by suicide after becoming psychotic from using high potency cannabis products. His death exposes the dangerous reality of today’s marijuana, which bears no resemblance to the substance previous generations used. Johnny started using cannabis at age 14 after marijuana was legalised in Colorado. He obtained his first supply from a friend’s older brother with a “medical” marijuana card.

By age 18, Johnny had his own “medical” cannabis card despite having no mental or physical condition. He simply wanted to get high with friends. Three days before his death, Johnny told his mother: “You were right about the marijuana. It’s ruined my mind and my life, and I’m sorry.” He died by suicide three days later, a victim of an acute psychotic episode.

The High Potency Cannabis Problem

Today’s cannabis plant contains extremely high THC content. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol produces euphoria and addiction. Products derived from the plant, including vapes, wax and edibles, contain even higher THC levels. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, out of nearly 3 million past-year cannabis users aged 12 to 17, almost 45% have Cannabis Use Disorder.

High potency cannabis use proves particularly damaging to young people whose brains are still forming into their late 20s. In the 1990s, THC potency in herb averaged 3-5%. Now it varies between 12-25%, with an average of 20% in Colorado. Growers continually increase potency through selective breeding, boasting strains from 30-40% THC.

Concentrates: The New Threat

Hash oil concentrates first appeared around 2010. By 2015, these novel high potency cannabis products were being used by secondary school students. “Dabs” are extracted concentrates of THC. The 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey reported that 10.2% of secondary school students use dabs. Of those who admit to using marijuana, 52% report dabbing.

Cannabis flowers are run through solvents like butane, ethanol or propane. The THC dissolves into the solvent. The concentrated solution is filtered and dried, resulting in a sticky, bronze-coloured oily substance. These can be additionally processed into distillates. Dabs contain up to 99% THC. They are chemicals, not plants.

A dab of 80% concentrate contains as much THC as 50 marijuana joints at 2% THC. One gram of 80% wax or oil contains 800mg of THC. High potency cannabis concentrates are to marijuana what crack is to cocaine.

Young People at Greatest Risk

Vaping and dabbing have become popular among very young people. Many children start dabbing by age 14. Most of the time, parents don’t have a clue. Dab vapour doesn’t have the skunky smell most marijuana smoke has. It may not even have a scent, so children can do it behind their parents’ backs at home and teachers’ backs at school.

Vaping devices can look just like nicotine vaping devices. Children may tell parents they are “just vaping,” but they could be vaping high potency cannabis. Many parents think their child is just being a typical teen, going through a phase, or believe it’s harmless because it’s legal.

Until the mid-to-late 20s, a person’s brain is still developing. Intoxicants can damage brain development. Numerous medical studies show dabbing can slow mental development, cause anxiety and depression, and trigger schizophrenia. These mental illnesses can lead to suicide.

Official Warnings Ignored

The 2020 report from Colorado’s Retail Marijuana Public Health Advisory Committee issued this warning: “Weekly marijuana use by adolescents is associated with deficits in academic and cognitive abilities, even 28 days after last use. Adolescents and young adults who use marijuana are more likely to experience psychotic symptoms as adults, future psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, and suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide.”

The report continued: “Adolescent use of marijuana with higher THC concentration (over 10% THC) is associated with continued use and development of future mental health symptoms and disorders.”

According to the Colorado Violent Death Reporting System, the number one cause of death in Colorado for youth aged 15-18 is suicide. The number one substance found in their toxicology reports is THC from high potency cannabis products.

Johnny’s Final Message

After Johnny died, his family recovered his journal. He had written “the mob is after me” and “the whole world knows about me.” A psychiatric hospital diagnosed Johnny with “THC abuse – severe.” He was a victim of an acute psychotic episode caused by high potency cannabis use.

Johnny was a great person who made some bad choices. But he was a victim of the addiction-for-profit marijuana industry. He should never have had access to high potency cannabis products in the first place. His death three days after apologising to his mother for not listening about marijuana’s dangers demonstrates the tragic consequences of normalising these substances.

Laura Stack now works to educate families about the dangers of high potency cannabis through Johnny’s Ambassadors. Her son’s story reveals the uncomfortable truth: today’s marijuana is not the substance previous generations used. It’s an engineered product designed for maximum THC delivery, with devastating consequences for developing brains.