More than a decade in to the legalization of marijuana, these stories are only the tip of the iceberg. As more states move toward some form of legalization these stories continue to emerge illustrating the negative impact that today’s marijuana can have on a growing number of people. Many of those who contributed to this project are tireless advocates who speak out against marijuana with great courage. As these current stories continue to be added, the original stories move further down the page. This does not diminish the memory of these victims nor do their stories become any less important. By speaking up and sharing these stories, their loved ones will not have suffered in vain. The greatest hope is that no other family will have to endure what these families have.
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Andy Zorn (1982 – 2014)
“I will only get worse. My soul is already dead. Marijuana killed my soul + ruined my brain. I am doing everyone a favor.” Andy Zorn was born in 1982 and had a joyful life, easily making and keeping friends. It was his mission to make his friends and family laugh and to have a…
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George Spicka’s Story, by George Spicka
“As far as I’m concerned, those who claim that marijuana is harmless don’t know what they’re talking about. Also, there’s a misconception that only the stronger pot of today is dangerous.” What you don’t know is that I became addicted to marijuana in my early 20s and suffered a psychotic breakdown shortly after my 25th…
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Trevor Leopold (2001 – 2019)
“Our kids (and many adults) are growing up with marijuana use being marketed, normalized, and pushed by the cannabis industry. Our minds naturally and powerfully say, ‘Illegal is bad, legal is good,’ and marijuana is no exception. However, legal marijuana access is not good for our youth.” Trevor London Leopold shared his huge heart and…
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Jennifer Corinne Hrobuchak (1989 – 2012)
“It’s criminal to legalize this powerful and addictive drug, which is killing our youth in so many ways. We need to wake up to what this is really about and become aware of how we are just pawns in the game plan of the marijuana industry.” It’s criminal to legalize THC marijuana, a powerful and…
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Brian Smith (2001 – 2018)
“Marijuana changed my life. Now I’m on a mission to raise awareness.” I want to tell the story of how marijuana changed my and my family’s lives forever. My son, Brian, began using marijuana at age 13. I was not aware he was using it that young. I did find out later he was smoking,…
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Molly
“I couldn’t breathe. I’m prone to asthma attacks, and every time my next door neighbors smoked marijuana in their apartment and on their patio, it irritated my lungs. I would cough so much. I’d throw up and couldn’t breathe.” Marijuana use. I almost died from it, and I wasn’t even the one using! I was…
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Ian David Long (1990 – 2018)
“Toxicological testing detected only cannabinoids, caffeine, and tobacco. His toxicology report indicated that he had cannabis in his system.” Ian’s father died when he was in fifth grade, and his mother moved frequently. He exhibited anger and other signs of trouble in high school, but he eventually followed his dreams of going into the…
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The Boyd Street Incident
“The results were that many of these occupancies contained hazardous materials storage, compressed gas cylinders, suspected cannabis operations, excessive storage, access challenges, and other adverse conditions deemed to be hazardous towards firefighter safety.” On May 16, 2020 a cannabis manufacturing plant exploded in Los Angeles. There were 230 firefighters battling the blaze, and 12 firefighters…
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Bait Dogs
“As the other dogs attack the bait dog, the attack dog is shot and killed.” In Shasta and Siskiyou counties, drug gangs place “bait dogs” in marijuana growing operations tied to posts, so that other drug dealer dogs will be attracted to attack the helpless dogs, which have their mouths wired shut. As the other…
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Kevin Bright (1989-2018)
Our son Kevin was 15 years old when he started abusing marijuana. He was very good at hiding his use until he came to us and said he was depressed and needed help. We spoke with an educational consultant who evaluated Kevin and recommended a therapeutic wilderness program. This was the beginning of many years…
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Andy Bauer (2000-2018)
My younger son, Andy Bauer, ended his own life in September of 2018. I couldn’t understand at that time how my son, a young man with everything going for him, could take his own life. Andy was an amazing young man. Like many others have described their loved ones, Andy was very intelligent and loving. …
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Brant Remington Clark (1989 – 2007)
My son, Brant, was a healthy, happy, bright, and normal teenager. He was a senior in high school, had excellent grades, and planned to attend college in the fall. He never had any discipline problems either at school or with the law. Brant had a gentle, quiet, and reflective side to his personality as well…
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Joshua Jimenez, (1991-2021)
On December 23, 2021, my son, Josh, took his own life by jumping in front of a train in Pecos, Texas. He was on his way home from California, where he had been dabbing Delta-8 and -9 THC. Joshua left our home in Texas after dabbing marijuana for the full month of December. He decided…
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Adam Maas
My son Adam suffers from cannabis use disorder and cannabis-induced psychosis. My husband and I worked hard to provide our kids with a loving and stable home. Our son was born in 1995. He did well in school. He skied in the winter, swam in the summer, and always had friends. In the spring of 2017,…
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Kirk Anderson, California
My brother thought he was John the Baptist. He slept under a freeway because he believed God wanted him to live there. (See https://anightinjail.com/ and a long story of Kirk’s life from Moms Strong: https://momsstrong.org/2018/01/19/brothers-marijuana-use-led-mental-illness/ ) About 10% to 15% of the population is predisposed to psychosis, and most of us don’t know it. Many people have not heard THC…
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Tyler Shamash (1999-2018)
My name is Juli Shamash, and my son Tyler suffered from addiction and ultimately died in the bathroom in a sober living facility at age 19 from ingesting fentanyl. Tyler was extremely bright, could hack into any computer, built computers, and could fix anything. He was curious, helpful, and kind. He would end every conversation…
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Roxie Pacheco
My daughter is 24 years old and suffers from cannabis use disorder and cannabis-induced psychosis. We had her back for a short time, but the addictiveness of this drug has pulled her away from us once again. Roxanne was a beautiful baby, and as she got older, she was very bubbly and her imagination was…
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Rosemary Tempel (1956-2012)
Rosemary Tempel, RN, BSN, was 56 years old was driving to work at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, on July 17, 2012. Speeding and raveling in the opposite direction while under the influence of marijuana, Timothy Durden directed his jeep directly into Rosemary’s car. Durden’s car catapulted over Rosemary’s car, crushing her and breaking her…
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Brian Wood (1977-2010)
On September 3, 2010, Brian and Erin Wood were driving to a vacation home owned by Erin’s parents on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound. Jordyn Weichert and Samantha Bowling were driving an SUV with their boyfriends in the back seat. Weichert felt a need to change her sweater while driving, so she turned the wheel…
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Krystal Kazmark (1995-2020)
Krystal Kazmark’s sudden passing in a tragic, preventable car crash left an irreplaceable space in the hearts of her family. Krystal was a passenger in a pickup truck driven by her boyfriend on a rural road. He collided with another vehicle, at first claiming he had seen an unknown animal. His truck was smashed, and…
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Henry MacDougall (2001-2017)
My heart is broken. I taught my son the dangers of peer pressure. I told him action is never justified simply because someone else says it’s okay. On the evening of October 6, 2017, a knock on my front door brought a parent’s worst —a police officer informed me Henry had been in a horrific…
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Anne Hassel, Self
I am a physical therapist who so strongly believed in medical marijuana that I went to work in a Massachusetts marijuana dispensary for 1.5 years as a budtender. My dispensary sold high-potency products. There were rashes, mildew, and mold on the marijuana; the labeled weight was incorrect; batches were mixed with different testing results; marijuana…
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“Alicia”
As a fitness professional and a professional dancer, I almost lost my business after Oregon legalized recreational cannabis, due to the effects of secondhand and third-hand cannabis/hemp smoke, terpene extraction, and other processing chemical practices. I experienced cannabis exposure in my condominium unit from neighboring residents, users in public spaces including restaurants, parks, grocery stores,…
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Aaron Reddy (2000 – 2019)
Aaron was an intelligent, handsome, articulate, and comical young man who was compassionate and forgiving. He was accepting, loving of everyone, quick-witted, and always joking around with family and friends. He was the life of the party. Aaron was in the Future Business Leaders of America organization as well as a college accounting program. Looking…