A Highlands Ranch family is looking at marijuana use as a contributing factor in their son's suicide death.

John and Laura Stack had a conversation with their son, Johnny three days before he took his own life and during that conversation, his parent said he told them::

 ‘I want you to know you were right,’" Laura Stack said. "And I said, ‘About what?' He said, ‘About the marijuana. It ruined my brain and my life. And I’m sorry.’ And he told us he loved us and three days later he died."

The Stacks said their son had been "dabbing", that is smoking higher concentrations of THC since the age of 15 and it is why they think marijuana was what ultimately made him decide to end his life. The parents also point out numerous schizophrenic episodes their son had, including thinking the F.B.I. was after him while at the University of Northern Colorado.

The U.S. Health and Human Services website says marijuana research is ongoing and the long-term effects of marijuana show mixed results. However, they also state that marijuana and its derivatives can have effects on an adolescent brain, including changing the shape and size of it as well as less blood flow to the brain.

While marijuana has been clinically associated with psychiatric illness, there are still many studies to be done, and the Stacks, as well as other families, are hopeful these studies will shed further light on the effects of marijuana use and mental illness.

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