Dear Johnny’s Ambassadors,
I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful holiday season with those you love. I know for many of us, this is a difficult time of year. It’s hard to imagine Johnny died over three years ago. Our daughter and son-in-law are expecting our first grandson next month, our youngest son just graduated from Colorado State University, and John and I are moving in May from the house where we raised our children. While we have so many joyful events to look forward to, I still grieve the loss of my son, Johnny. I miss him every day. His death was so tragic, and senseless, and preventable.
But thanks to thousands of Johnny’s Ambassadors like you, his spirit lives on. You are out there sounding the alarm about the harms of youth marijuana use and sharing his warning, “Marijuana ruined my mind and my life.” You are making sure his life wasn’t in vain by keeping others from following his path. Johnny’s Ambassadors are saving lives every day. Every day! I know it, because I get the emails and letters and messages.
Even though you don’t always see it, your work is making a difference! I’m so grateful for the gift of your time, talent, and efforts. Thanks to your support, Johnny’s Ambassadors has made a tremendous impact this year! Here are just some of our accomplishments in 2022:
- Held Our Inaugural Youth Marijuana Prevention Conference. Our national youth marijuana prevention conference was held on July 6. We had over 200 attendees in person and on the livestream, who gave rave reviews, so we consider it a great success!
- Commissioned Joint Research. Our joint research with the Drug-Free America Foundation proved the correlation between states with permissive marijuana regulations to increased youth use, psychosis, and suicidality.
- Created a Youth Marijuana Prevention Magazine. 20,000 copies of our new 16-page glossy Youth Marijuana Prevention Magazine are currently being distributed to middle and high school health, PE, and prevention teachers to use in their classrooms around the U.S.!
- Received HUGE Media Hits. Johnny’s story of high potency marijuana addiction, psychosis, and suicide was featured on Dr. Phil, the New York Times, Rocky Mountain PBS, and the Wall Street Journal, to name a few.
- Launched an Online Community Forum. We created an online community of like-minded youth marijuana prevention professionals, nonprofits, and parents to share information and network. Three months following launch, we have 350 members and 350 discussions posted!
- Spoke at School Assemblies and Conferences Around the U.S. Now that COVID restrictions are lifted, we’ve been traveling heavily, speaking at middle and high schools, drug prevention conferences, and parent/community nights about the harms of youth marijuana use and receiving great accolades.
- Started a #JustSayKnow PSA Billboard Campaign. In addition to placing billboards around the U.S., we launched a national youth marijuana prevention video contest starting in January 1 for teens to tell other teens why they should #JustSayKNOW to marijuana!
- Exhibited at the CADCA Conference. We exhibited at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) conference in January. We had hundreds of people come by our booth, gave out 250 books, and presented a learning lab. It was an investment, but we believe it had a great return!
- Developed a Train-the-Trainer Course. Enrolled over 75 Certified Johnny’s Ambassadors Trainers, who are now licensed to teach our class “The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana” to adults and/or teens in their communities. We are slowly building our grassroots army to counter false narratives and get the word out about the harms of youth marijuana use!
- Formed a Monthly Support Group. We started a new Parents of Children with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (POCCIP) monthly support group to help the now 400+ parents who children are using and in trouble. We provide education from an expert or a person in recovery.
- Continued Writing Our Newsletter. We now have over 8,500 on our mailing list! I write an article each week to keep our little army informed and educated.
- Held Educational Campaigns. We produced educational events and social media campaigns for Anti-420 Day in April, Marijuana Mental Health Month in May, and National Marijuana Facts Week in July. We entered National Marijuana Facts Week in Chase’s Annual Events to raise awareness of the dangers of youth marijuana use.
We have so much more work to do in 2023! Please consider a philanthropic year-end gift to Johnny’s Ambassadors to help us continue to educate parents, teens, and communities about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, psychosis, and suicide. Please help us expand our reach and educate more parents and teens about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana products.
With your $25 gift, you’ll receive 9 hours of recordings from our 2022 Johnny’s Ambassadors Youth Marijuana Prevention Conference ($99 value)!
We are set up to accept stock transfers, or you can mail a check to Johnny’s Ambassadors, 9948 Cottoncreek Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130. You’ll receive a receipt in the mail. Please email [email protected] for options.
Thank you so much for supporting us in our important efforts to save our youth from the harms of marijuana! Wishing you and yours a peaceful, Happy 2023!
Laura