Sessions are 75 minutes with 45 minutes for slides, 15 minutes for Q&A, and 15 minutes for discussion/chat and transition. Each presentation is a general session (no breakout sessions). ALL TIMES ARE MOUNTAIN.

Day 1 - Wednesday, July 10, 2024

7:30 Registration and breakfast
8:00-8:15 Laura and John Stack, Johnny's Ambassadors Youth THC Prevention
8:15-9:30 Dr. Christian Thurstone, Director Denver Health, opening keynote
9:30-10:45 Dr. Ruth Ross – Toronto pharmacologist on endocannabinoids and brain formation
10:45-12:00 Nikhil Rao, MD, MSc, Board Certified, Child Psychiatry and Obesity Medicine, CCS Family Behavioral Health, Kartini Clinic
12:00-1:00 Lunch and action planning
1:00-2:15 Debbie Berndt, Prevention Framework for Prevention Professionals, Parent Movement 2.0
2:15-3:30 FINALIZING
3:30-4:45 FINALIZING
4:45-5:00 Close with Laura Stack, Founder & CEO, Johnny's Ambassadors Youth THC Prevention

Day 2 - Thursday, July 11, 2024

7:30 Breakfast
8:00-8:15 Welcome and kick off – Laura Stack
8:15-9:30 Keith Hayes Jr. Director of Recovery at 5280 Recovery High School
9:30-10:45 FINALIZING
10:45-12:00 Kriya Lendzion, Counselor, Talking to Teens About THC
12:00-1:00 Lunch and action planning
1:00-2:15 Libby Stuyt, addiction psychiatrist
2:15-3:30 Melissa Moore, with NMI, prevention trainer, Owner M3 Consulting LLC
3:30-4:45 Grace Davis, Johnny's friend, recovered from Cannabis-Induced Psychosis
4:45-5:00 Closing with Laura Stack

$349: LIVE EVENT (includes breakfast, lunch, all-day beverages, parking, and materials for both days). 

$149: LIVE STREAM (includes both days - per connection - includes recording)

** This investment is PER PERSON. If you want to register a group, you can send their names and emails to Laura@JohnnysAmbassadors.org, and we will send you an invoice to pay online with a credit card. No need to register them one at a time! **

Welcome and Kick-Off

Laura Stack was best known in the business world for her professional moniker, The Productivity Pro. Her 30-year career as a keynote speaker, bestselling author of eight productivity books, and corporate spokesperson came to a screeching halt on November 20, 2019, when her 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide after becoming psychotic from dabbing high-THC marijuana concentrates. Laura responded by forming the nonprofit, Johnny’s Ambassadors, to educate parents and teens about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide. Her platform now brings education, awareness, and prevention curriculum to schools, parents, prevention conferences, and coalitions to prevent youth THC use.

Marijuana and Our Children: The Blunt Truth

Endocannabinoids and Brain Formation

Cannabis Cessation Strategies and Withdrawal Management

Nikhil Rao MD MSc is a triple board certified pediatric psychiatrist at Kartini Clinic, with extensive experience across multiple settings including eating disorders, neuro-developmental disorders (such as autism), and the interface between medical and psychiatric illness. Dr. Rao is a member of Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. After completing his fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry in 2017, Dr. Rao went on to achieve board certification in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and also obesity medicine. Dr. Rao’s clinical interests lie in untangling complex diagnosis and treatment challenges in individuals with multiple mental and physical health issues, and identifying the right mix of psychotherapy and medication approaches to best serve the individual. He is fond of teaching and has written or lectured at audiences of all educational levels at the local, regional, and national level. Dr. Rao currently works in several settings including with at-risk youth, inpatient psychiatry, and works with Kartini Clinic’s team part-time to provide psychiatric consultation and evaluation.

OC5 - Prevention Framework for Prevention Professionals and Parents

Tackling Youth THC Abuse

Keith Hayes is the Director of Recovery at 5280 High School, a public school in Denver Public Schools that specializes in project based learning and comprehensive wellness. 5280 also has a thriving program for students in recovery from addiction. 5280 High School is creating bold, balanced students all of whom are dedicated to living life in recovery

Talking to Teens

We live in a world that is increasingly addictive, risky, and complex for adolescents in our lives. I have over 20 years of experience working with diverse youth and families, providing empowering information, tools, and support to parents, schools, and community organizations on guiding the kids we care about healthily and resiliently into young adulthood. All while keeping our relationships with them strong, and our own sanity intact! I bring my expertise and engaging facilitation style to a variety of settings and services, weaving humor, empathy, and a social justice lens into all that I do.

Youth THC Addiction

Dr. Stuyt is a board-certified Addiction Psychiatrist and has worked in the addiction/behavioral health field since 1990. She was the Medical Director for the Circle Program, a 90-day inpatient treatment program, funded by the state of Colorado, for persons with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse who have failed other levels of treatment since 1999. She retired from this position in 2020 and is currently motivated to educate as many people as possible on the un-intended consequences seen from the commercialization of marijuana in Colorado, focusing primarily on the deleterious effects of high potency THC on the developing brain and mental health.

Community Engagement Specialist

Melissa Moore has worked in Public Health for over 20 years, leading substance abuse prevention and coalition efforts in multiple diverse communities. Emphasizing the need to go beyond education to address the factors that contribute to substance abuse, Ms. Moore has helped lead assessment, planning, implementation and grant writing efforts to transform the way communities tackle this daunting burden. An expert in engagement and communication, Ms. Moore is always looking for opportunities to take great ideas and move them into tangible actions answering the age-old question...We recognize this is an issue, now what can we do about it?

Johnny and Me: My Recovery from Cannabis-Induced Psychosis

Grace Davis, a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, credits Johnny as a pivotal influence in her decision to complete her degree and quit cannabis. She recognizes that her cannabis/THC use contributed to the progression of her bipolar disorder, which can present with symptoms overlapping psychosis and other mental health conditions.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, students with bipolar disorder are 70% more likely to drop out of college than peers without psychiatric diagnoses. Despite these challenges, Davis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology while completing both the Interdisciplinary and Upper-Division honors programs. She is an award-winning student and undergraduate researcher.

A former advocate and teacher in Douglas County schools, Davis recognizes the importance of drug-free initiatives and accessible mental health resources for youth. She is passionate about reducing mental health stigma and fostering resilience through education, advocacy, and open dialogue. In addition to speaking, Grace co-facilitates the TOGETHER: Preventing and Recovering from CIP program for Johnny’s Ambassadors.

Davis and Johnny first met as children at Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je (“I’d Rather Have Jesus”) in Bailey, Colorado. In the spring of 2019, they reconnected while living on the same dorm floor at the University of Northern Colorado. When Johnny confided in her about his mental health struggles, including psychosis and suicidality, she repeatedly advocated for and supported him. Her reports requesting mental health interventions for Johnny were not ethically addressed by those who received them.