Posted on December 12, 2025 View all news
Antonio was a normal, active, and smart boy—fun to be with, always curious, and a good student—busy playing ice hockey and golf. At the end of 8th grade, he was awarded the President’s Education Award Program in recognition of outstanding academic excellence in 2019, the Council Rock Academic Award for excellence in mathematics in 2019, and earned the Bronze Award in the Spanish National Exam in 2019. Antonio was planning to become a mechanical engineer and work in Formula 1. He loved his life and his parents.
In late fall of 2019, as a 15-year-old high school freshman, we began to see changes in his normal behavior. He became lazy—he had always been very diligent—and started missing homework, which resulted in emails from teachers. He lost interest in spending time with us and spent more time alone. He became verbally aggressive, very impatient, and would disappear for long periods after school, often missing dinner.
As things escalated, we discovered he was smoking weed. He became defensive and lectured us about the benefits of marijuana, saying he could not wait to turn 18 to get a medical marijuana card. From the fall of 2019 onward, our lives turned into a nightmare—our son became out of control, barely graduated from high school, crashed cars, lost his driver’s license, lost jobs, was arrested multiple times, and, most tragically, lost his sense of purpose, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Antonio was beginning to find himself again and recognized that many of the poor choices he had made had put him in a very difficult position. He was overwhelmed by his reality, but he wanted to change it. He acknowledged what marijuana had done to him.
Antonio, our beloved son, took his life on October 30, 2025, at the tender age of 21. He was at home with us and sober by his own personal decision, not consuming any drugs since the beginning of February 2025. He was attending psychological therapy, had started medical treatment for depression, and was waiting on a decision from the City of Brunswick, Georgia, to accept his probation case to be transferred from Bucks County, Pennsylvania so that he could participate in a unique independent living recovery program. That request was denied.
The commercialization of marijuana is being pushed purely for money, with no consideration for the impact on society as a whole, or more importantly, on our youth and children. It ignores the fact that marijuana is truly a gateway drug, highly addictive, and often leads to the use of more damaging substances. There is a false promise of high state revenue through taxation, while the societal costs—such as increased emergency services and the long-term impact of a disenfranchised generation—are ignored.
Oregon and Colorado are examples of failed states when it comes to marijuana legalization.
The commercialization of marijuana and the pursuit of revenue are driving the development of highly potent, addictive THC, which will eventually destroy a generation. Teenagers’ developing brains are being exposed to a false narrative that marijuana is “natural, safe, and harmless.” It is not—and this has to stop.
Monica V. DiLossi, Antonio’s mom
my heart goes out to you regarding this information. I’m remember your son from Saint Andrews so sad. Prayers for you and your family. Hopefully, he’s at peace. I agree, wholeheartedly. The legalization of this stuff has made the problem 1 million times worse.
Antonio was a classmate of mine for many years, up to senior year before he decided to continue his education online. Extremely intelligent and witty, I always knew he was capable of doing anything he put his mind to. Thank you for sharing this personal story to spread awareness. My deepest condolences go out to the DiLossi family, Antonio is missed deeply and will never be forgotten.