Johnny's Ambassadors

How the Legalization of Marijuana Has Negatively Impacted Our Youth Featured expert:LukeNiforatos ORIGINAL WEBINAR: FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja200717/ Description Today’s marijuana is much more potent than in the past. Marijuana in the Woodstock era contained 5% THC. By comparison, today’s pot edibles, candies, cookies, ice creams, and waxes contain as much as 99% THC. What lessons have we learned from how legalizing these high-THC products have impacted our youth? Luke Niforatos from Smart Approaches to Marijuana will walk parents through the latest statistics and facts on what isreallyhappening in legalized states, so you can make informed decisions and discuss these issues intelligently with your children. Objectives • Understand the negative mental health outcomes of children who smoke marijuana • Recognize how smoking marijuana has been proven to impact school performance • Learn how children end up in the emergency room from using marijuana products • Explore the ramifications of stoned teen driving • See the link between parental marijuana usage and adolescent usage Speaker Bio 
LukeNiforatos serves as the Executive Vice President at Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), described by the New York Times as the “well-coordinated opposition” to marijuana legalization. Luke’s background is in nonprofit community healthcare, where he helped manage Federally Qualified Health Centers and worked on health disparities. Prior to joining SAM,Lukewas also the Co-Founder of DocBuddy, a healthcare start-up based in Denver, Colorado, which he later sold. At SAM,Lukeserves in the role of principal deputy to the CEO, manages the day-to-day operations of the organization, and acts as a spokesman on marijuana issues. In 2018, he was the campaign manager for the successful ballot campaign to defeat legalization in North Dakota and led SAM’s legislative victories in more than two dozen states. He has been featured atThe Economist’sCannabis Summit; the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs; and in dozens of events and town halls about drug policy across the country. He has also been featured in many national media outlets, including Fox News and CNBC, and his op-eds are regularly published.Lukegraduated from the University of Denver, and his home state of Colorado gives him a unique vantage point on the issue of sound drug policy. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
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Q&A with a Neuroscientist About Adolescent Marijuana Use, Mental Illness, and Suicide: What Every Parent Needs to Know Featured expert:Christine L. Miller, Ph.D. ORIGINAL WEBINAR DATE: JULY 10, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja200710/ Description
 Johnny’s Ambassadors is so fortunate to have an opportunity to conduct a Q&A session with Christine L. Miller, Ph.D., who has researched the causes of psychosis for 30+ years in the academic setting, publishing 33 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Her specialty is molecular neuroscience, i.e. the study of molecular influences on brain function. She has acted as a reviewer for several journals, including the Journal of Neuroscience, Biological Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Bulletin, and Bipolar Disorders. Dr. Miller holds a B.S. degree in Biology from M.I.T. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Laura Stack, Founder & CEO of Johnny’s Ambassadors, will be interviewing Dr. Miller via phone. You will have the opportunity to ask Dr. Miller your specific questions! Learning Objectives 
These are a sample of some of the questions Laura and the audience will pose to Dr. Miller: 1. Is marijuana addictive for teens? 
2. What is the difference between a habit and an addiction?
 3. How can marijuana be addictive and a gateway drug at the same time? 
4. What are some of the ways marijuana influences adolescent brain development? 
5. At what age can the brain be considered fully mature?
 6. What are some of the psychological symptoms that adolescents might try to treat with marijuana and does it help (anxiety, depression, ADHD)? 
7. Is it true that marijuana triggers transient psychotic episodes?
 8. Is there also a link to chronic psychosis (schizophrenia) in adolescent use?
 9. How does marijuana compare to other drugs that are associated with psychosis (LSD, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, PCP)? 
10. Does marijuana use lead to suicidal tendencies in some adolescents?
 11. Does having schizophrenia in your genetics mean that you would have manifested the disorder anyway?
 12. Is there an age where it is MORE risky to develop mental illness, such as 13 or 15?
 13. What would you say to parents who say that it’s “just marijuana,” or “kids will be kids,” or “at least they’re not doing hard drugs.” Speaker Bio A graduate from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Dr. Miller earned her Ph. D. in Pharmacology through the Neuroscience Training Program. Her professional history includes a faculty position as an instructor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan. Dr. Miller has been published in peer-reviewed journals over 30 times in her 30-year career. Currently, Dr. Miller is the president and founder of MillerBio, a firm dedicated to behavioral pharmacology research and consulting. Her areas of research include genetic loci associated with risk for psychosis, the biochemical basis for major mental disorders, biomarkers of psychiatric state and suicidality, and animal models of pharmacotherapy. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
Expert videos on demand:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Upcoming webinars:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/we...
Research database:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Toolkits:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/to...
Videos:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/vi...
Parent resources:https://johnnysambassadors.org/parents
Blog/newsletter:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/blog
Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Johnn...
Johnny's Ambassadors City Teams:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/ci...
#StopDabbing walk:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/st...
Johnny's tribute video:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/tr...
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Marijuana Education and a Perspective on Teen Substance Use for Parents Featured expert:Debbie Berndt ORIGINAL WEBINAR DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja200703/ Description
 parent is the first line of defense against youth drug and alcohol use and they become the first responders if their child begins to use. There is a lot to know in these roles, however, most parents are ill-equipped. The good news is there is a tremendous amount of scientific understanding today that can help. Learning Objectives • Real and useful understanding of marijuana today, its effect on brain function and overall health, forms, and potencies. • 21stcentury basics around youth drug and alcohol use that most parents do not know. • Specific strategies for middle and high school parents who will likely encounter these topics. Speaker Bio 
After writing about marijuana for several years, Ms. Berndt developed a core data set that anyone wanting to understand marijuana needs to know. She has been educating parents and teens since early 2017 when she realized that (a) parents – on the front line of youth drug use – understood very little about today’s marijuana and how things change after legalization, as well as that (b) kids are increasingly exposed to pro-use messages that make them believe they are marijuana savvy. Ms. Berndt works locally on a coalition dedicated to reducing substance use among adolescents. She is a parent and recently launched Parent Movement 2.0 along with several national partners and two parents that founded the original Parent Movement in 1979. This 21stcentury Parent Movement seeks to help parents help their kids navigate away from marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs through education and advocacy. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
Expert videos on demand:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Upcoming webinars:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/we...
Research database:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Toolkits:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/to...
Videos:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/vi...
Parent resources:https://johnnysambassadors.org/parents
Blog/newsletter:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/blog
Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Johnn...
Johnny's Ambassadors City Teams:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/ci...
#StopDabbing walk:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/st...
Johnny's tribute video:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/tr...
Ways to get involved:https://johnnysambassadors.org/join
Donate:https://johnnysambassadors.org/donate

Understand All the Drugs Your Kids are Using:New Trends in Teen Substance Abuse Featured expert:Lynn Riemer ORIGINAL WEBINAR DATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja200626/ Description
 The “glamorizing” of drugs is promoted all over the internet and in today’s music. The types of drugs out on the street continue to change and are easy to obtain. The majority of teens, college students, and young adults using drugs are not drug addicts: they are simply experimenting.Whether experimentation starts with the “challenges” promoted online, vaping, trying pot or popping pills, a few bad decisions can lead down a path with many consequences. Vaping among high school students grew an astounding 900% since 2011, and teens as young as 12 or 13 are now more likely to vape than smoke. Vaping devices are just new ways to disguise drug use as one can vape any and every drug out there. Marijuana is a popular drug to vape, in fact over 75% of the deaths and hospitalizations from vaping involved THC, the psychoactive ingredient in Marijuana. Marijuana use is increasing across the nation as perception of harm decreases. Marijuana on the street today is extremely potent, edibles and concentrates are becoming very popular as are ways to disguising its use. Today’s potent marijuana use has resulted in a substantial increase in the number of people seen in emergency departments for treatment of acute toxic reactions. Drug driving deaths are skyrocketing in states that have legalized pot, homelessness is a very big problem, and schools are seeing an increase in hard drugs (Cocaine, Meth, and Heroin). Learning Objectives
 This session contains: • Up-to-date information about how teens use drugs • New ways to get drunk • Vaping • Today’s potent Marijuana Speaker Bio 
Lynn Riemer is an accomplished speaker, trainer and advocate on issues relating to substance abuse. Lynn is president of ACT on Drugs, Inc., a non-profit organization with a mission to educate parents, teens, and professionals about addictive and psychoactive substances, both legal and illegal, which are available in their community. With her in depth chemistry knowledge of drugs, having served with DEA and on the North Metro Drug Task Force, and her engaging style she brings a real, personal, and vivid face to the issues presented by illicit drug use. Over the past 17 years, Lynn has spoken regularly with students, school staff, parents, communities, companies, and governmental agencies about drug awareness, recognition, and prevention. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
Expert videos on demand:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Upcoming webinars:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/we...
Research database:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Toolkits:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/to...
Videos:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/vi...
Parent resources:https://johnnysambassadors.org/parents
Blog/newsletter:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/blog
Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Johnn...
Johnny's Ambassadors City Teams:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/ci...
#StopDabbing walk:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/st...
Johnny's tribute video:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/tr...
Ways to get involved:https://johnnysambassadors.org/join
Donate:https://johnnysambassadors.org/donate

Turning Pain into Purpose: An Emotionally Naked Story of Depression, Addiction, Loss, and Hope Featured expert: Anne Moss Rogers ORIGINAL WEBINAR DATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja200619/ Description TEDx and emotionally naked®speaker, Anne Moss Rogers, lost her 20-year-old son, Charles Aubrey Rogers, to suicide in 2015 after many years of struggle with anxiety, depression, and addiction. Grief stricken and terrified, she published a newspaper article about her family’s tragedy that went viral, creating a following for her blog,Emotionally Naked. This presentation is her story about how she translated her grief into action to prevent substance misuse and suicide in a bold and unorthodox way. Learning Objectives
After the conclusion of this one-hour webinar, you will understand the following: • The difference between normal teen behavior and warning signs • Signs of someone struggling and what to say/do • How drugs/alcohol have become normalized its impact on our culture • What does a parent do if they suspect their child is mentally ill/using? Speaker Bio
 Anne Moss Rogers is an emotionally naked TEDx storyteller, registered suicide prevention trainer, author of the book,Diary of a Broken Mind, and owner of the popular Emotionally Naked blog. She is a marketing expert who co-owned and later sold her digital marketing business to pursue suicide prevention after her twenty-year-old son, Charles, died by suicide June 5, 2015 after struggling with depression and addiction. She has given a TEDx,Can a Blog Save Lives?,been interviewed by the New York Times, and spoken at the National Institute of Mental Health. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she now lives in Richmond, VA with her husband, Randy. Her surviving son, Richard, works in LA as a filmmaker. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
Expert videos on demand:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Upcoming webinars:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/we...
Research database:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Toolkits:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/to...
Videos:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/vi...
Parent resources:https://johnnysambassadors.org/parents
Blog/newsletter:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/blog
Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Johnn...
Johnny's Ambassadors City Teams:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/ci...
#StopDabbing walk:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/st...
Johnny's tribute video:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/tr...
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Donate:https://johnnysambassadors.org/donate

A Night In Jail: Education Through Storytelling and Drama Therapy Featured experts:Heidi A. Swan and Dr. Jeremy Martinez, actor panel ORIGINAL WEBINAR: DECEMBER 4, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201204/ Description
 When we tell teens marijuana is linked to psychosis and schizophrenia, do they really understand what that means?A Night in Jailis the only fictional book, film, and play which depicts cannabis-induced psychosis. Inspired by true events, this cautionary tale was inspired and coauthored by Kirk Anderson, who was a homeless drug addict with schizophrenia and went to jail eighteen times. In this webinar, you will meet his sister and coauthor, Heidi A. Swan. This will be a special dramatization using actors reading the screenplay forA Night in Jail, which will be followed by a discussion between Heidi and Jeremy Martinez, MD, Associate Medical Director Co-Occurring Disorders, Homeless Outreach and Engagement for Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Learning Objectives
 At the end of this webinar, parents will: • Realize how teen cannabis use is linked to mental illness • Learn how teen cannabis use can lead to the use of other drugs • Understand cannabis use in the homeless population • Learn about the rise in substance and alcohol abuse during COVID-19 • Reduce homelessness by preventing mental illness and addiction Speaker Bio 
Heidi Swan co-produced and wrote the short filmA NIGHT IN JAILbased on this story to educate the public on the impacts of using marijuana during adolescence. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
Expert videos on demand:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Upcoming webinars:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/we...
Research database:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Toolkits:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/to...
Videos:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/vi...
Parent resources:https://johnnysambassadors.org/parents
Blog/newsletter:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/blog
Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Johnn...
Johnny's Ambassadors City Teams:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/ci...
#StopDabbing walk:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/st...
Johnny's tribute video:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/tr...
Ways to get involved:https://johnnysambassadors.org/join
Donate:https://johnnysambassadors.org/donate

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Cannabis Use Disorder: A Toxic Couple Featured expert: Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D. ORIGINAL WEBINAR: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 Handouts athttps://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201211/ Description
 Cannabis is one of the most widely abused substances among people with ADHD. Studies show that those diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to develop a Cannabis Use Disorder. One study found that 34% to 46% of those seeking treatment for cannabis dependence had an ADHD diagnosis. Cannabis is not medicinal for ADHD. Cannabis carries lifelong psychological and physical consequences to the developing brain and body, and people with ADHD are especially vulnerable to its effects. Though marijuana use is a hotly debated topic, this webinar focuses on strong scientific studies and clinical examples to drive home the cannabis-ADHD connection. In this webinar, you will learn: • The prevalence of cannabis use in ADHD groups • Why cannabis can appeal to an ADHD brain • Effects of cannabis on the developing ADHD brain • Treatment recommendations for people affected by ADHD and Cannabis Dependence Speaker Bio 
Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and in the treatment of eating disorders in boys and men. He has spoken on numerous podcasts and webinars and presents at many talks and conferences around the country. He currently sits on the Professional Advisory Boards for Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) and the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA). He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for ADDitude. Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org Who's Johnny?https://johnnysambassadors.org/johnny
Laura's story about Johnny:https://johnnysambassadors.org/ja201120
What is a dab?https://johnnysambassadors.org/types-...
Expert videos on demand:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Upcoming webinars:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/we...
Research database:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/re...
Toolkits:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/to...
Videos:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/vi...
Parent resources:https://johnnysambassadors.org/parents
Blog/newsletter:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/blog
Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Johnn...
Johnny's Ambassadors City Teams:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/ci...
#StopDabbing walk:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/st...
Johnny's tribute video:https://www.JohnnysAmbassadors.org/tr...
Ways to get involved:https://johnnysambassadors.org/join
Donate:https://johnnysambassadors.org/donate