Marijuana. The word alone can spark debate. Should it be legal? Does it offer real medical benefits? Is it a gateway drug? Questions like these continue to feel controversy with no shortage of strong opinions on either side. it's like a love affair with this drug. There is no other drug that people will. Destroy their lives over, destroy their marriages, um, and, and defend it as if, as if this is the most important thing in the world to them. That's Chrissy Groen Wegen, the Director of the Parent Action Network. She's made it her mission to work with parents and families impacted by marijuana, helping them share their stories in a way that really gets lawmakers attention. It's completely exacerbated now because what legalization did, it changed three big things, right? It the commercialization incentivized the growth of the industry, potency, skyrocketed, as you said. This is now lab created. It's chemically changed and addiction increased, which of course worsened mental health problems and we can list so many of them. On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we're not shying away from the controversial topic. How harmful can marijuana really be? What impact has legalization had on the mental and physical health of Americans? And how are businesses taking advantage of legal loopholes to put profit over public safety? We have talked before on grieving out loud about the dangers of marijuana on the developing brain, including cannabis induced psychosis, schizophrenia, and even lower iq. These are real and serious risks, especially as today's high potency products become so widely available. and socially acceptable. My guest today, Crissy Groenewegen, is on the front lines of the issue. She's the director of the Parent Action Network, part of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, and she's made it her mission to help parents and families share their stories in powerful ways, to educate lawmakers, push for policies, and put public health and safety before profits. Crissy, thank you so much for joining me on Grieving Out Loud. Loud. Thank you so much for having me. That was a wonderful overview of what we do. Thank you so much. This is such an important issue and there is so much pushback anytime. Mm-hmm. We try to talk about cannabis or marijuana in any aspect. And really what we focus on at Emily's Hope is how it is not for the developing brain. Yeah. We also know cannabis use disorder is a real thing documented in medical journals, um, for adults and, and kids alike. And so it is a really important subject, so important that parents talk to their kids about it, but often so much pushback because. There is this thing that weed good for you, it's good for everybody. Mm-hmm. And it cures everything. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's, it's so true. And you know, when we were talking before we started recording, you mentioned this as being part of Emily's story and that she thought weed was the, the end all, you know, and it's so funny that you brought that up because so many of our parents in, in the network talk about how it's like a love affair with this drug. There is no other drug that people will. Destroy their lives over, destroy their marriages, um, and, and defend it as if, as if this is the most important thing in the world to them. You know? And, and so it's really interesting. And also, as you said, you know, name another drug in this world that cures absolutely everything from a hangnail to cancer. It, it's absurd, right? It, it is one of these drugs that has been really celebrated. Um, think there are other, other, I mean, alcohol's pretty much ingrained in our culture, right? Mm-hmm. And heroin is extremely addictive. Methamphetamine, extremely addictive to the brain, right? But cannabis can often be, um, you know, you, the term gateway drug can be debated until you're blue in the face. Mm-hmm. But we do know studies show that when people start using cannabis at a, before their brain is fully developed. They have a 15%. Higher chance of suffering from substance use disorder and absolutely. I have to tell you, almost every person I have talked to on this podcast who found themselves addicted to opioids started. with weed. Absolutely. I just came off, um, participating in a panel at the, um, save Our Kids Conference for Victoria's voice. Same story as Emily. You know, Victoria lost her life to a fentanyl overdose, right? Her diary is filled with praise of marijuana, can't wait for the, for it to become legal in Florida and all that talk. And what happened along the way is that. People have been brainwashed by the marketing, right? They're, they're thinking, oh, this is a harmless plant from the seventies and eighties, but that's not what we're talking about today. Today's product is not at all like the one to 4% pot that your grandma smoked in the seventies. You know, it's just not that product anymore. We recently featured Victoria's story in another episode of Grieving Out Loud. You'll find a link to that episode in the show notes along with a few others. We think you may find helpful. And while you're there, we'd appreciate it. If you take a moment to rate and review this podcast, it truly makes a difference. And please share it with somebody who needs to hear it. Together we are helping to prevent the devastating effects of substance use on the people we love. And if you know someone who is struggling with substance use disorder, please don't wait to get help. You can find a list of resources on our website, Emily's Hope Charity, and you'll find that link in the show notes too. Remember, you are not alone. THC levels are so much higher. Mm-hmm. Uh, so many times they also go through a chemical process as well. Yep. And there's no doubt that the marketing has been very successful to market to kids and to also market medical marijuana, which I mean, you could pretty much get a card, a medical card in, in my state in, in most states now. Yes. Almost any kind of symptom, including I have a relative. Who got a card for anxiety and depression, but we, but studies show that, uh, marijuana increases anxiety. Absolutely paranoia. and things like Absolutely. And the science is there. We could debate that all day long. You know, there are hundreds of thousands of scientific studies, and again, they're not, just from the past few years they've been out there forever and while, okay, back in the seventies, eighties, psychosis was rare from cannabis. It does exist. And it did exist. Of course. It's completely exacerbated now because what legalization did, it changed three big things, right? It the commercialization incentivized the growth of the industry, potency, skyrocketed, as you said. This is now lab created. It's chemically changed and addiction increased, which of course worsened mental health problems and we can list so many of them. Right, because it's not, it's not the weed of the seventies, it's not the mm-hmm. Weed. It is so powerful. And we know that cannabis use disorder is, is a, a documented, um, absolutely. That so many people suffer from, um. Psychosis more likely among young people. So psychosis and schizophrenia are more likely among males. Right. But again, um, you know, there are scientific studies from Europe that indicate that I believe it was a big study in Denmark and. It's, and psychosis is, uh, more susceptible to our youth because of course, their brains are still developing, right? So their brains are developing from middle school years straight through to their 25, almost 30 at this point. And so your brain is wired, you know, wired to, for, for addiction. And cannabis is not good for the brain no matter what, no matter what you're told, right? And we know that if, if someone is. an, Um, end stages cancer patients, something like that. And, and they need marijuana or some, you know, severe debilitating medical condition. Um, I think everybody can agree and there's some other things. Um, seizure. I think Charlotte's Web was a big thing back when, you know, we were talking about the legalization. Mm-hmm. of, Um, cannabis for medical purposes. Um, I think nobody would, would say, oh, deny people who, who are suffering from these severe medical. Um, syndromes or conditions, deny them, uh, cannabis, if it helps. Right. So, so let's talk about that a little bit. Right. For, you mentioned cancer and epilepsy and medical marijuana. So for us, there's a big difference between medical and medicine, right? And this is where the marketing gets us misconstrued. So yes, there are. Marijuana medicines that have been out there for years and years and years to treat what you mentioned, to increase appetite with cancer, to, to deal with pain from cancer, um, in some cases to, uh, be used for anorexia. Of course, there's a formula that's used for a childhood seizure disorder. I forget the name offhand, so I won't even try to say it, but those medicines were created. After years and years of going through the proper process, years of study, and I like to give the example to parents and laypeople that put it in this context. If you go to New York where I am, South Dakota, where you are. Timbuk two right? Anywhere in the world, and you have a prescription for one of those conditions and that medicine prescribed to you by a doctor and you go to a pharmacy to fill that prescription. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, you're getting the same product. Medical. The word medical marijuana was just a ploy by the addiction for profit industry to legalize a product that cannot be regulated when you're changing it however you want. This is, this is not done through the proper network, through FDA approvals. So medical dispensaries and recreational dispensary products are no different from one another. Whatsoever. And there's no true regulation. Every state can say it's regulated, you know? But all the studies and tests that have been done within medical dispensaries and even, uh, recreational dispensaries that they show if you take two of the supposed same product, there's discrepancies. They're not gonna be exactly the same. Are you ready to protect the next generation from the dangers of substance use? Emily's Hope has created a comprehensive K through 12 substance use prevention curriculum designed to educate, empower, and equip students with the tools they need to make healthy choices are age appropriate lessons, starting kindergarten and build through high school using science, real stories and interactive learning to help kids understand their bodies, brains, and risk of drug use. We're already reaching thousands of students across multiple states, and we're just getting started. Visit emily's hope edu.org to learn more and share our curriculum with your school administrators and counselors. At Emily's Hope, we believe prevention begins with education. Let's work together to keep our kids safe. I think you could boil it down, Crissy, to saying that. Medical marijuana is not regulated by the FDA, the way other medications are. You absolutely could boil it down to that for sure. And, and again, you know, think of, is there any other medicine that we vote on at ballots? No. You know, so it's, it's, again, it's an addiction for profit industry. It is just, um, a, a tactic. you know, get to our vulnerable populations and to get them addicted as young as possible, to have lifelong customers, just like the drug cartels, right? Mm-hmm. I I mean mm-hmm. not a a lot different other than, um, I always talk about with legal, weed, you're not gonna get fentanyl in it. Um, although with illegal weed that has been happened, um, more time. times, you know, and more and more frequently, and recent years, people will argue that doesn't happen, but I've talked to parents. Parents Mm-hmm. people who've lost Actually, that was brought up with the DEA, um, last week. And so they kind of explained that to me, which was interesting in that what happens when you find fentanyl, which again, it is rare, but it is happening more than, than it used to. And the reason that that happens is because, you know, the, the dealers that are packaging fentanyl and packaging marijuana. I don't have to tell you that the smallest little residue of fentanyl can kill you. And so that's cross contamination basically. So that's how it's happening. Like it could be a little drop on the package and you just get the wrong batch, you know? Right. I always say I would much rather as, as, um, um, many issues as there are with, uh, legal marijuana, I'd much rather have people get it legally than illegally. Mm-hmm. But that aside, uh, when we talk about the other issues with, um, um, cannabis, One thing I learned about, we had a, a scholarship recipient, a treatment scholarship recipient for VO Emily's Hope who, um, used several substances, but marijuana had been one of her preferred substances and she ended up with cannabinoid hyper hyper hyperemesis syndrome. Mm-hmm. CHS It's a a, a big mouthful. It sure is. hyperemesis syndrome. Um, we'll just call it CHS. Mm-hmm. Uh, And I think this has been actually happening for years, and it can happen even years after you've, um. Use the product on a regular basis, correct? Yes, that is absolutely correct. So my background is in, um, counseling and drug prevention. And so interestingly, when I was working in the prevention field, um. I had come across a personal account of, of someone I know who had this chronic vomiting syndrome. It took three and a half years for a doctor to finally diagnose what it was. It was happening repeatedly. And this person was a lifelong cannabis user who had never had a problem at all, and then all of a sudden develops this. So that's, so that was my experience. And what I found out, and again, this was like. 12 years ago. So interestingly, the doctor had provided me with some medi, um, medical journal articles, and this was going on in places like New Zealand for. 25 years because they openly smoked marijuana and they described this and I was like, wow, that's what this person has. Then because of the explosion of marijuana, um, because of legalization on the market and everything, and the potency rising because again, doctors still don't know very much about CHS. But they know that the potencies, um, the products, you know, the, the, uh, intensity of, of the product and, and the frequency of smoking all contribute to this CHS. And so there are literally hundreds of thousands of cases across the country in emergency rooms. Yeah. Emergency rooms deal with this because I know this, a particular patient, we go to the emergency room. Yep. Chronic. Vomiting. And the only thing that really seems to make it better is a hot shower, which is, I don't think doctors know why that is. Yeah. But if, if you know somebody who's a regular weed smoker or user weed, um, and they're. they're Having an issue with having nausea and vomiting all the time. Mm-hmm. I mean, that's probably it. Absolutely. And people are in denial about that. Right. So at first you don't realize it. For sure. You know, I think when it first starts happening, you're like, what is going on? You know? And then as it happens more frequently, you have to come to the realization. Of course, um, one of the issues right now is that um, the only cure seems to be complete abstinence. And the minute you start to use again, you're bound to have another bout. You know, there's so much science on that now as well. People, doctors are beginning to study it more and looking for solutions, um, and there just aren't any yet except abstinence. But of course it's very difficult to get off of marijuana. Yeah, you know, when Emily was, here's, here's, I think our biggest battle is just the culture around it, right? Yeah. So Emily was a teenager. Um, she met a boy who was dealing weed and became, fell in love. And, and weed was the best thing ever. And the whole culture, the music, um, the clothing even mm-hmm. Around this, uh, marijuana culture. It's so hard, and I, I knew, I, I didn't know about all these things. Okay. I'm gonna say I know a lot more now. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But I just knew it wasn't good for her and I could only see it ending in pain, which ultimately it did. Yeah. Um, and it led to other addictions, um, pills and then eventually yeah, heroin. So, um, you know, we were, it's just such a devastating thing as a parent to try to fight. The culture and the general acceptance of marijuana. And now when you go to these larger cities where marijuana is legal, you smell it everywhere. Oh, everywhere. Um, everywhere. And so it's just so, like alcohol is everywhere. Mm-hmm. And so socially, I mean, it's almost a social expectation, um, that you'll drink alcohol in groups of people. Right. And so, um, how do you, as a parent. Battle that if you have a kid who's attracted to the culture of it, who thinks it's great and a wonderful thing and you know, a natural, yeah. Wonderful thing. thing. Right. Well, you know, the first battle I think is actually with the parents, because even parents are just uneducated. They're still thinking in terms of the weed of the seventies and eighties that was harmless. You know, as parents, I think we all expect that our kids are going to, to. Go through rites of passage. They're going to try substances. We expect this and we discipline them as per the issue, you know, and, and ground them and do whatever we can and have the talks about how these substances are dangerous. But I think, um, when you have your kids now seeing the marketing and, and you know, saying, but it's safe and it's natural, um, some of the key, uh, talking points are, you know, safe. Well, natural does not mean safe. Right. Like if you go out into a forest and pick mushrooms and just go and eat them, you could be eating a deadly one. Y you know? So, I mean, um, there's a hemlock is a natural plant, right? But it's deadly. You know, Dieffenbachia, it's, it's a beautiful indoor plant, right? It's deadly to animals and. I think it can make adults, uh, uh, humans very, very sick, but natural does not mean safe. And then the next argument is that these products are no longer natural. This is not a plant anymore. You know what our kids are using are the um, uh, the dabs and the gummies, and those are not. Plants. Those are products created in labs that have been com. You know, the composition of the marijuana has been completely altered, super potent, you know, and, um, even with the plants in farms, they're hybridizing these plants and, and pulling up the THC strength over the CBDs and all the other components. Marijuana is a very complicated plant. You know, it's not like, you know, alcohol is one molecule, one molecule. That's it. Right? Marijuana is not like that. So I think it's very important, you know, to have the, uh, natural doesn't mean safe talk. And also that, you know, honestly, yeah, maybe I used it when I was younger talk, but this is not the same thing. You know, Yeah, can cannabis is one of those things we're covering in our prevention, uh, curriculum at Emily's Hope. and Because it's so needed, especially at that high school level, we're really mm-hmm. Covering, you know, all of these aspects there as well to try to educate kids on how impacts the brain. Just like, just as other substances impact the brain, um, and what it can mean. But also the marketing toward kids is so interesting. And also with products such as products that were legal through the Farm Bill and Diet Weed. um, Delta 8, 9, 10. Um, which are chemical compounds. sold gas stations, smoke things like that. Mm-hmm. My state, along with about 20 other states have now made those illegal, although they still turn up. There was just a, a raid recently where they were still in gas stations and smoke shops and things like that, along with other products that aren't legal. Oh, yes. In smoke shops. Yes. And so it's so interesting to me, like how the, the attempt to regulate it by making things illegal. But that it still continues to go on. Yeah. It's such a monster. And there are new federal developments when it comes to regulating so-called diet weed. A provision tucked inside the government funding bill, president Donald Trump, signed to reopen the federal government. This fall will make those products illegal. Beginning in November of 2026. But the industry is already gearing up to challenge the ban to stay updated on this developing story and other news involving substance use disorder, the opioid crisis, and mental health. Visit our website at Emily's Hope Charity. Again, you'll find that link in our show notes. Also, Chrissy says that the product should not be called Diet Weed, but instead superpower weed. first of all, it's derived from CBD, right? And CBD is not psychoactive. THC is psychoactive component. CBD is not a psychoactive component, and hemp is the, you know, the base plant, you know, so their hemp was used for fabric. Rope. We need hemp. We need hemp farmers. And you know, there's nothing wrong with hemp, but the industry took advantage of that farm bill loophole and it is the industry that took these products and said, Hey, we can use this CBD, turn it into something else. And when you heat CBD to those extreme temperatures in the hundreds of degrees, it turns into THC. So it is so. That is just a marketing term that this was a lighter high, when really it is the more dangerous high at this point, you know?'cause it is completely unregulated, of course sold in the gas stations and convenience stores. And often, like you talk about South Dakota where we know that it's not even legal there, which is a great thing, but you still have the. Legal products that fell through the loophole. Right. So often they're under the counter. I know a gas station right here where the products are under the counter and, you know, you, you just, they, there's kind of like a secret language between people know where to go for this stuff, you know? Yeah. What's scary is that well, well, maybe a, um, less than a couple of dozen states have made it illegal. It's still showing up. Yeah. And the places where it's showing up. up, Children can gain access to it. Oh, yes. That is correct. And you also, well, well, I mean, I think it's all illegal and there are signs posted In the gas stations, some of them that you can't buy any of these smoke products under 21, but it doesn't matter. They give it to everybody, you know? Also you can get it online. Right. By simply checking a box. They haven't been able to control that yet, you know? Right, right. So a lot for parents to think about. And you're working with parents all the time, right? Who, whose families have been negatively impacted mm-hmm. By marijuana, whose children have. um, some cases died or their lives have been permanently changed. Um, tell me about how you're helping those families and what Yeah. doing. So, um. We at the Parent Action Network, this was actually the brainchild of our CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, who after going around the country for years and years and years, talking about, um, what was gonna happen with this industry, right? Like I affectionately call him the Nostradamus of this industry because he literally predicted this over 12 years ago. He knew exactly what was gonna happen and has been talking about it ever since, and everywhere he went. Parents, families, members, people would come up to him with these horror stories. Very much like Laura Stack's story. You know, I know a lot of people know Laura Stack with Johnny's ambassadors. Her son, um, died by suicide while under the influence of medical marijuana products, right? So again, it could be medical, it could be recreational. We started to hear so many stories. So Kevin had the idea to create this army of parents because while the science is out there and we all know the science, and there's hundreds of thousands of studies, it's very hard to not listen to a parent in your face. Telling you that this happened to them and there are additional proofs. You know, if it was unfortunately, um, a death due to it, you might have a toxicology report or the coroner's report showing that the only substance in the body was THC, you know, and then. It's very interesting because Laura and I were just talking about this yesterday where she said, sometimes I feel luckier that Johnny is not here because he's not suffering anymore. And when I tell you, Angela, there are thousands of parents in our network, the common thread of their story is the high potency THC products, whether it have been medical, recreational dabs, smoked vaped, um. It is just hundreds of thousands of parents with these similar stories and more so living with it currently. You know, living with cannabis use disorder, cannabis induced psychosis, um, heart problems, lung issues, uh, geriatric problems from the CHS, you name it. And these kids are a shell of who they were, you know, all. Started in their teen years, some of them up in, even in their forties, where they're living with their parents as adults, completely non-functional, um, unable to stop using marijuana or get the help that they need for these conditions. That is really sad. And I often think we're, we're in the infancy of this, um, wave of marijuana legalization. And so what are we gonna, what, what do you predict? Like 10 years from now we're gonna see, or 20 years from? now, From the prevalent you. Right. marijuana. that is such a good question. That is so scary to me. And, um, I'm a grandma and a mom of three adult children and I am truly worried for our generation. I pray every day that it never, and I don't think that it will ever become federally legal no matter what the industry tells you. And I think that has a lot to do with trafficking and cartels. So I really, um. I just have a gut feeling and I really pray that the DEA continues to do their job and, and that it stays federally illegal, but. I don't even know how to answer that because again, with all this touting state by state of how great legalization is and how, how, um, fantastic it is, you know, medical marijuana helps this and helps that, and, and the access is still there to people that are of legal age. And of course our youth are still getting a hold of it. I honestly don't know what's gonna happen because again. When they talk about studying it for medical purposes, it is being studied for medical purposes appropriately through the FDA. And some medicines have been approved, but this stuff is never gonna be approved for that. This is, this is poison, you know, and, and so. I don't know where that leaves us. It concerns me greatly about our generation because again, we are talking about so many of our parents, kids were, first of all, no history of mental illness. No matter what any psychiatrist, psychologist, or anyone tries to tell them no history, right? And then. Just wonderful athletes accomplished college bound students with great futures ahead of them. Just a shell of who they are. So I don't even know how to answer that question. Have you lost a loved one to overdose or fentanyl poisoning? I'd like to invite you to share their story on our new Emily's Hope memorial website called More Than Just a Number. They were our children, siblings, cousins, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, and friends. So much more than just a number. You can submit a memorial today on more than just a number.org. Parent Action Network has also been working to raise awareness about the dangers with lawmakers. Chrissy says, closing the diet weed loophole is a big win for her organization, but there's still plenty of work left to do. That includes trying to prevent President Trump's administration from reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule one to a Schedule three controlled substance. I think this is another thing that the pro industry perpetuated based on some information they think they have. Um, we need to be prepared if it is, if, if, um, the president does consider rescheduling. But one of the big things we're doing right now is we have what we call direct advocacy campaigns, which are like the one click campaigns where. Smart approaches to marijuana, writes out the information and, and our networks can just click one button that sends a letter to President Trump saying all the reasons why rescheduling should not happen. And again, um, about the schedules, I'm not sure you know anything about this, but schedule one drugs are, are, you know, deemed Highly addictive and dangerous, right? And so the industry wants you to lessen that to Schedule three, and their big argument is that it will allow for more research. Well, again, proper research is already being done and has been being done on the marijuana plant for its use. No one is saying that there, the possibility that doesn't exist, that there are certain compounds that could be medically helpful, but. None of the products that are in medical or recreational dispensaries are those, so it's really important. You know, schedule three basically sends a message now, even worse, that marijuana is not harmful and is safe for medical use, and that's not okay. The one thing that's probably not going to happen is you're probably not gonna put the cat back into the bag with so many states legalizing. Recreational marijuana, or at least at the medical marijuana, I think is legal in most states, right? Yeah. And so, uh, you're probably not gonna have marijuana be made illegal again. So falling short of that, what, what can you really do? Um, you, you know, it's so funny you said that because that's my greatest wish, you know? Oregon had measure one 10, which legalized all drugs. And what happened in Oregon, the, the, the state just became an absolute shell of the beautiful state that it was. And they reversed that a year ago. Right. So I guess in the grand scheme of things, there's an iota of hope that state by state states could make a decision to reverse legalization. I only wish Right. And, but money. Yeah. Politics and money. Oh yes. Comes into play and there's so much. Yeah. And and marijuana business. Yeah. So I guess the best thing that's gonna happen, which is one of the main things that smart approaches to marijuana does is work with the states to create better regulations, potency, caps, warning labels, um, Hm. know. Maybe raise the age limit in some states to 25 before you can even access these products. You know, that might be better if you take the science about the brain and, okay, well if they can't get their hands on it till they're 25, they stand a better chance of avoiding the harms, you know? So it's interesting because the legal drinking age is 21. Yeah. So 21 becomes right. The the legal age. Right. Everything. But The legal drinking agent in some states used to be 18. Yes. And then for federal highway, you know, safety money. Mm-hmm. States weren't gonna be able to get it unless they raised it to 21. So there's no reason why we can't change those laws. Right. As we understand more and learn more about science and the brain. although Absolutely. Have anybody proposing that? I think that would be a really good idea. we Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. The drinking laws and marijuana use laws to 25. Minimum. minimum. Absolutely. I think it would be such an important thing. And you, you know, it's funny because I think back, like I was not to age myself, but like I was always, you know, I was, I was a teenager, young twenties in the eighties, into the nineties, right? And, and so I remember that I was never of the proper drinking age. Right? When it was 18, I was like 16, 17, right? Then when it, then it turns, I'm like, yay, I'm gonna be 18. It changes to 19, I'm like, oh my God. Then I'm 19. It changes to 21. Yeah. You know, so yeah. Laws can happen and change and they, and, and like you said, they are based on so many things. Definitely alcohol was based on, uh, traffic deaths. You know, we know that for a fact. You know, and another interesting thing I'd like to say about the alcohol industry and the marijuana industry, because a lot of people like to compare these, right? It is interesting with the alcohol industry. The industry doesn't get rich off. The one person that has one glass of wine with dinner once a week, they get rich off the alcoholic who has 10 drinks minimum a day. Right. So with the marijuana industry, it is very important to note that 71% of the users of marijuana are consuming 94% of the product. What does that tell you about the addiction for profit industry, Right. So, any parting words for parents as we wrap up this conversation? of When to start talking. I mean, I do think more states are also requiring education. Mm-hmm. More states that have legalized marijuana, which prevention education, which you and I are both, you know, a hundred percent for. Um, we provide that. Yes. We want to see that in every state, in every school. Um, but what else? What else would you tell? parents Wrap up. wrap up? Um, so I, you know, I would highly recommend, um, reaching out to us at the Parent Action Network because another thing that we do besides raising the voices of your stories to bring to legislators, we also are a community of shared experiences and what. Another great thing that happens at our, uh, Capitol Hill Day is that, you know, a lot of these parents know each other through stories, through online networks, through webinars and zooms and and whatnot. But at this Hill Day, they get to meet each other in person and, and form bonds and learn that they're not. Alone. And so that is another part of the work we do here at Parent Action Network. Almost every single week we're connecting one parent with another parent, or one person with another person because of the similarities in their stories and the ways they can help each other. Whether it be giving advice on the Marchman Act, which is the act in Florida that allows you to commit your pers your your loved one for help, you know, or, um. You know, some families who ha, whose kids are suffering from psychosis and have been finally put on a antipsychotic medication that is showing promise, uh, will connect them with another parent who just learned their kid was diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and doesn't know where to turn, will, will connect those parents and we do it. Every week. And it's really a beautiful thing. You know, and again, we're not doing education or curriculum in schools like Johnny's ambassadors in Laura Stack, but all of these agencies that, um, are creating education and awareness and providing services to schools, the community, whatever it might be, we all work together for that same shared mission. Right. To protect kids. Mm-hmm. prote To protect our future generation. Yes. So important. So thank you for, um, talking about this important topic and we will have links in the show notes here for people to check out more on your website as well, but really appreciate it. Oh, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to learn more about this important topic. I truly believe awareness is key in both preventing substance use disorder and in helping those who are struggling get the support they desperately need. If you found this episode helpful, please again, just take a moment to rate and review our podcast and share it with your friends and family. Together we can make a difference. Thanks again for listening. Until next time, wishing you faith, hope, and courage. This podcast is produced by Casey Wallenberg, king and Kaylee Fitz.