To the Editor:

South Dakota will be going from the frying pan into the fire if legal recreational marijuana is passed into law in the fall 2024 elections. In my home state of Colorado, which was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012, the scant income from the sale of legal cannabis is dwarfed by the increased costs of increased automobile accidents, driving under the influence, addiction treatment, educational problems, increased domestic and street violence, as well as a lowered perception of harm by teens.

Suicide is now the #1 cause of death in our youth ages 15-18 in Colorado. The #1 substance in their toxicology reports is THC, not alcohol or any other illicit substance. I formed a nonprofit, Johnny’s Ambassadors Youth THC Prevention, after our 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide in 2019 after becoming psychotic from using THC concentrates here in Colorado. He thought the mob was after him. We now educate parents, teens, and communities about the possible harms of youth THC use. See https://JohnnysAmbassadors.org/research for the facts.

Johnny’s Ambassadors currently has 1,632 Parents of Children with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (POCCIP) in our support group. We sadly welcome 10-20 new members each week. Teen Cannabis-Induced Psychosis is a silent epidemic no one is talking about. Many South Dakota parents would join this club no one wants to belong to if marijuana is legalized.

Johnny’s Ambassadors Scientific Advisory Board member, Dr. Karen Randall, an Emergency Department physician in Pueblo, says she treats teens in the ED every day with episodes of acute psychosis, cyclical vomiting, and poisoning. If recreational marijuana passes in SD, you’ll suddenly see much of the same with youth in your Emergency Departments. Save your youth and SAY NO to legalization this fall.

Laura Stack