Former teen sues Stiiizy claiming high THC products produced cannabis psychosis

A man who would not disclose his name is suing cannabis company Stiiizy claiming that when he was a teen he used the company’s high-potency vape products which caused him to experience cannabis psychosis. The man, only identified as John Doe, began vaping under pressure from his friends. He argues that Stiiizy’s marketing and advertising compelled him to continue vaping excessively.

The man admits in the complaint that Stiiizy’s website gives age restriction warnings for Michigan and Nevada. The complaint also states that the website clearly says the products are only intended for individuals over the age of 21, albeit in small type. Doe’s complaint says the warnings don’t say anything about the potential of cannabis psychosis or what could happen to a teen or a child and the risks they face if they use the products.

Law360 reported that a Stiiizy company spokesperson said in a statement Friday, “As we said when these attorneys filed their previous lawsuit, we do not market or sell our products to minors and clearly state on our packaging that cannabis products may only be possessed or consumed by persons 21 or older. We also follow all California mandated packaging requirements that prohibit marketing to minors or any designs or images that may attract minors.”

Alleged psychosis

The man claims that when he was a teen, he was stressed out at high school and the Stiiizy advertising claimed it addressed stress and anxiety. Along with peer pressure, Doe began increasing his vaping and said he was buying the products over Snapchat.

The man says that on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, while on a high from vaping STIIIZY products, he snuck out of his parents’ house, stole his father’s truck, and drove to San Francisco. He had no money and no phone with him. He also didn’t have a driver’s license and his father hadn’t given him permission to drive the truck.

Eventually, the truck eventually ran out of gas on and he pulled over to the side of the road and started honking the horn relentlessly until a stranger pulled up. Then he says he pretended to be a celebrity rapper and sold his jewelry in exchange for cash and help to jump-start his truck. He then headed to the airport where he was unsuccessful at getting on a plane.

As he continued to act like a rapper, he took the subway to Union Square in San Francisco where he visited various high-end retailers including Cartier and Tiffany stores, and tried to obtain merchandise for free under the same pretext that he was a famous singer/rapper. Ultimately, he headed back to the airport for his truck, but he could not find his way out of the parking garage. Airport security/police found him sleeping in his truck and called his parents.

He was taken to John Muir Hospital and involuntarily detained on a 72-hour psychiatric hold. He did test positive for THC, however, his discharge diagnosis as of June 20, 2022, did not reflect cannabis-induced psychosis.

Following that episode, Doe quit vaping for a year and a half. He began vaping again and experienced another psychotic break in December 2023. Once again claiming he was a famous rapper, friends contacted his parents and he was hospitalized again. Medical professionals told him that if he returned to vaping he could have permanent psychosis. He also claims in his lawsuit that Stiiizy doesn’t warn that cannabis could be a gateway drug.

The man also stated that in his research cannabis caused anxiety, depression, poor sleep hygiene, lung damage, and disrupts cognitive functioning such as schizophrenia and psychosis.

Advertising claims

The lawsuit claims that just about any ad or color was an attempt to lure teens to buy the products. It suggested camouflage print, neon colors, and strains with confectionary names were all aimed at demographics younger than 21. It also suggested that lifestyle attachments to skateboarding and music festivals were also drawing in teens. Apparently, according to the plaintiff’s suggestions people over the age of 21 do not engage in these types of fun activities – only teens.

Psychiatric medical payments

Ultimately, the man is filing the lawsuit to get Stiiizy to pay for his medical and hospital expenses. He says if Stiiizy had warned him of the dangers of vaping, he would not have engaged in the practice. However, it seems that since he quit vaping for a year and a half following his first psychotic break, he was aware of the negative effect it had on him even though he wasn’t diagnosed with having cannabis-induced psychosis.