About this episode
Laura had all of the tools she needed to do a 180 from her keynote speaking on productivity and apply it to youth substance abuse. She’s like the Mothers Against Drunk Driving for marijuana! We don’t know all the science as parents! It’s not the same marijuana our parents used to smoke! Better Call Daddy: The Safe Space For Controversy! Laura Stack is Johnny Stack’s mom and the Founder & CEO of Johnny’s Ambassadors. In the business world, Laura was better known by her professional moniker, The Productivity Pro®. She is a Hall-of-Fame Speaker and corporate spokesperson for many major brands. Laura is a bestselling author of eight books on productivity and performance topics with a large social media following, and she has given keynote speeches and training seminars to major corporate, association, and government audiences for over 30 years. On November 20, 2019, Laura suddenly acquired the undesired wisdom of knowing what it’s like to lose one’s child, when her 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide. He became psychotic after dabbing high- potency marijuana concentrates and thought the mob was after him. Laura’s world took a 180. She filed for and received 501c3 nonprofit status for Johnny’s Ambassadors, Inc., with the mission to educate parents and teens about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide. She wrote the blockbuster book, The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana: Johnny Stack’s Life and Death Story, with 300 pages about what happened. Described as a woman with unstoppable drive and unwavering purpose, Laura hopes to help other parents, grandparents, teachers (and frankly all adults with teens in their lives) by honestly and boldly sharing Johnny’s story of his high-potency marijuana use, psychosis, and suicide. The devastating loss of her child gives Laura a powerful voice and a platform for change. Laura sees it as her responsibility to share Johnny's warning to prevent other families from having to go through what she did and save other young lives. Laura’s platform now brings marijuana education, awareness, and prevention curriculum around the U.S. to raise awareness of THC use, mental illness, and suicide. She presents live and virtual keynotes, breakout sessions, and training for parents, teens, schools, healthcare, anti-drug coalitions, community- based prevention organizations, corporate wellness programs, and government agencies. Laura is the recipient of the Drug-Free America Foundation’s Moxie Award for protecting youth from substances, as well as the Leadership in Advocacy Award from the National Speakers Association. By sharing Johnny’s own warning about marijuana, Laura is determined to start a movement to bring teen marijuana use, mental illness, and suicide into the spotlight and get them to #StopDabbing. Laura lives with her husband near Denver, Colorado and has two surviving adult children, ages 26 and 20. “Forge ahead despite your pain and give meaning to your loss.” – Laura Stack https://JohnnysAmbassadors.org Laura’s book : https://smile.amazon.com/Dangerous-Truth-About-Todays-Marijuana/dp/195094879x Educational resources to about the harms youth marijuana use: https://johnnysambassadors.org/education Connect with Reena www.linkedin.com/in/reenafriedmanwatts www.instagram.com/reenafriedmanwatts Me and my daddy would love to hear from you podchaser.com/bettercalldaddy ratethispodcast.com/bettercalldaddy bettercalldaddy.com