"The Tea on THC" campaign aims to educate about dangers of high THC cannabis in Colorado

The cannabis available in Colorado dispensaries today has high concentrations of THC, much higher than ever available before.

Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health want consumers to be aware of the risks associated with its use.

On Tuesday, the school launched a campaign, in partnership with Initium Health, called "The Tea on THC". It is focused on youth, young adults, parents and mentors, and pregnant moms.

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd joined the researchers to share his experience using high-concentration cannabis. He said he experienced paranoia, mood swings, and dependency while on cannabis products. Today he is taking part in the campaign to promote healthier ways to cope and share how he was able to break free from addiction.

"It was affecting the way that I interacted with people. It was affecting me negatively with my cognition and mood and temperament. And I continued to use. That's the signs of addiction, right?"

A Douglas County mom who fought to make this statewide campaign possible is hoping her story of heartbreaking loss will help sound the alarm on the dangers of high-concentration THC.

Laura Stack founded Johnny's Ambassadors after her son died by suicide. Johnny Stack was born in 2000. He was 14 years old, just entering high school, when dispensaries began selling recreational marijuana in Colorado in 2014.

"So wrong place, wrong time, wrong year, the first state in all 50 to legalize this. And my son was born right into it," Stack said. "So when my son told me he had used it at the party, I thought he was talking about the same stuff that I had used when I was a teen, and I had no idea what had changed -- not just with the plant, but in the industry."

Johnny died by suicide on Nov. 20, 2019. Before his death, doctors diagnosed him with THC abuse -- a severe case. That led to cannabis-induced psychosis.

"Johnny thought that the mob was after him, that the FBI was tracking him, that people were spying on him. He would buy burner phones, but then he would stop using THC, and those thoughts would go away," said Stack.

Three days before his death, Johnny read his family a poem he'd written.

I wish I could have been less dense and known this before, so let's put the brakes where they're supposed to go, right? I'll probably make myself ignore it though. Night

Laura Stack said, "He told us three days before he died that marijuana had ruined his mind and his life. And when we do school assemblies now, we tell the teens that Johnny said that and that he would say, 'This is real. This happened to me.'"

Laura Stack and her family have taken their grief and used it to educate others, regularly speaking to schools about the dangers of high-concentration THC. And fighting for the legislation that led to the launch of "The Tea on THC" education campaign. HB 21-1317, passed in 2021, directed the Colorado School of Public Health to research the possible physical and mental health effects of high-potency THC marijuana and concentrates and to produce a public education campaign for the general public.

She encourages families to join her.

"Our nonprofit Johnny's Ambassadors has over 1,800 parents right now with children in cannabis-induced-psychosis all over the United States," said Stack. "Parents really need to understand that there is no safe level of THC in the developing brain, that there are brain changes even with one or two uses. So it's not too early to talk to your kids when they're 10 years old."

Colorado's cannabis industry association sent us the following statement:

"The Marijuana Industry Group (MIG) was the first cannabis trade organization in the nation to collaborate with state agencies and health departments on public service campaigns. MIG appreciates the School of Public Health's decision to focus their efforts towards youth and expectant or breastfeeding mothers. That said, targeting only high concentration cannabis products is a bit puzzling as MIG believes kids shouldn't use cannabis of any concentration, except under the strict guidance of a medical professional. We also would have suggested an additional focus on making sure that parents lock up their marijuana products in the home, as past campaigns have shown success reducing accidental youth exposure."

"One of the greatest advantages of marijuana legalization is the ability to restrict recreational cannabis sales to those 21 and older. According to the CDPHE's Healthy Kids Survey, among students who used marijuana in the past 30 days, those who dabbed it has gone down 36 percent. The best stat though is that youth cannabis use in Colorado is currently at its lowest level ever. That's something we all can celebrate."

At Tuesday's launch, researchers expressed hope that Colorado would lead the nation in education about the risks of cannabis use.

"The entire marketplace is high concentration," said Greg Tung, an associate professor in the Colorado School of Public Health's Department of Health Systems, Management & Policy. Tung said this results in cannabis with THC potency "much higher than it ever was before."

Consumers want the market to drive the creation of significantly lower-concentration products over time, researchers said.

To learn more about the public awareness campaign visit: https://teaonthc.org/

To learn about Johnny's Ambassadors, visit: https://johnnysambassadors.org/