Saving Our Youth from the Harms of THC
A March 2024 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health is shedding light on a troubling trend: a significant increase in visits to children’s hospitals for substance-related issues.
The study’s authors—who include Alexis Ball of Seattle Children’s Hospital and Scott Hadland of MassGeneral Hospital for Children—examined data from the Pediatric Health Information System database, which has records from over 49 children’s hospitals across the United States.… Read the rest
“Cannabis retailers are not selling to minors and their products are not being diverted to the underage market.”
That’s what NORML, an advocacy group in favor of legalizing marijuana, promises on its website. But the data reveals a different story.… Read the rest
In 2018, the Cannabis Act legalized recreational cannabis across Canada, making it the second country to pass such legislation, after Uruguay. Now, Canadians as young as 18 can purchase the drug—even though a growing body of research shows that cannabis use is particularly dangerous to the adolescent brain, as it negatively affects neurocognitive performance, brain development, and brain functioning.… Read the rest
Over recent years, people in the United States have become more aware of the nation’s mental health crisis. And there’s been a lot of concern surrounding mental health and American youth in particular, considering that 11%–17% of teens in the country experience major depression in their lives, putting them at a higher risk of suicide.… Read the rest
Medical and recreational cannabis are illegal in France. But that hasn’t stopped its residents from using the substance. In fact, a study in 2021 shows that France has one of the highest levels of cannabis use among European countries.
Solène Wallez, among seven other researchers, set out to understand why French residents are prone to using cannabis to self-medicate.… Read the rest
Dearest Johnny’s Ambassadors,
I hope this letter finds you happy and well! John and I are so grateful for your active participation and support of Johnny’s Ambassadors Youth THC Prevention. Your gifts have helped us save countless youth from the harms of THC.… Read the rest
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate in the United States has been rising steadily since 1999—including for teenagers. Suicide isn’t just a U.S.-crisis, either. From 1990, global yearly deaths by suicide have risen by 20,000.… Read the rest
In May 2024, the U.S. Senate again introduced legislation to federally legalize cannabis.
This proposed legislation comes on the heels of a Pew Research Center poll conducted in January 2024. The poll found that 88% of American adults think marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use.… Read the rest
In 2022, the FDA issued a warning about Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, the substance commonly known as Delta-8 THC. The FDA cited 104 adverse event reports related to Delta-8, including one pediatric case that resulted in death. If that doesn’t get your attention, hear this warning directly from Juanita Carnes, a nurse practitioner in Massachusetts with 38 years of experience.… Read the rest
Clinicians and researchers across the world rely on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for criteria to diagnose mental disorders. And despite increased public acceptance of cannabis over the years, in 2013, authors of the DSM recognized the drug’s dangers by adding to the manual cannabis use disorder (CUD), a dangerous addiction to cannabis.… Read the rest