Saving Our Youth from the Harms of THC
In 2018 I celebrated the graduation of my first-born son, who was an Eagle Scout and honors student. Little did I know, he had begun using marijuana to deal with his social anxiety as he entered college.
When he came home for Thanksgiving break his sophomore year, I noticed changes in his behavior.… Read the rest
I knew weed wasn’t good for the brain. I was never interested in it, nor wanted any of my children to use it. But until three months ago, I had no idea how truly horrible this drug was.
My 18-year-old son used to be social, funny, outgoing, and a fabulous athlete, until a friend at school gave him a THC vape.… Read the rest
“Your son has Cannabis-Induced Psychosis,” said my son’s psychologist. That was in 2021, just two weeks before his 18th birthday, during his senior year in high school.
His initial symptoms were delusions of grandeur. He was going to change to world with his music because of the special vibrations in his hands, which he covered with a glove.… Read the rest
With marijuana and its derivatives, potency refers exclusively to the THC content. At this point, few people really care about any other chemicals present in cannabis, with the limited exception of the much-touted CBD.
THC potency matters a great deal to everyone involved in the cannabis debate, whether pro- or anti-.… Read the rest
By Ben Cort
Excerpted from his new book, Weed Inked.
A reporter from the New York Post recently called asking my thoughts on a bill that would require parents to attend diversion/education programs with their kids when the kids got caught with THC.… Read the rest
Please register now to participate in our November 22 continuing education event featuring leading cannabis impacts and policy experts Laura Stack and Ben Cort.
Foundry Front Range can accommodate up to 30 guests in-person and all are welcome to join virtually.… Read the rest
In 1990, Congress officially established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). Advocates such as Johnny’s Ambassadors have worked together to sponsor activities to educate the public about mental illness. This year, Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 6-12, and World Mental Health Day is October 10.… 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
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
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