Posted on July 2, 2026 View all news
A historic milestone honoring the families who courageously shared their loved ones’ stories and advancing the national conversation about marijuana-related deaths and serious harms.
“Behind every statistic cited in this document is a human story, a stolen future, and a family left with unimaginable heartbreak.”
— White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2026 National Drug Control Strategy
For families whose lives have been forever changed by marijuana-related deaths and serious harms, the inclusion of the Every Brain Matters Memorial in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy marks a historic milestone.
Featured in the Strategy’s “In Their Memory” section, the Memorial honors individuals whose lives have been lost to substance-related harms while recognizing the families who continue to carry the burden of that loss. More than a mention in a federal report, this recognition affirms that these lives mattered, these families deserve to be heard, and their experiences belong in our nation’s public health conversation.
Perhaps most importantly, it reflects a growing recognition that today’s high-potency THC products can have devastating consequences for some individuals and families.
A Historic Step Forward
The 2026 National Drug Control Strategy outlines our nation’s priorities for prevention, treatment, recovery, public safety, and emerging drug threats. Throughout the report, the Administration emphasizes protecting youth, strengthening prevention, supporting families, and addressing concerns surrounding increasingly potent marijuana products and cannabinoids.
Within this important national strategy, the White House chose to recognize the Every Brain Matters Memorial—a tribute created by families whose loved ones have died or experienced devastating harms associated with marijuana use.
For Every Brain Matters and the families we serve, this recognition represents a significant advancement.
For years, families affected by marijuana-related psychosis, addiction, suicide, impaired driving, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), and other serious harms have often felt overlooked or dismissed. Many have been told that marijuana could not have contributed to what happened because it is widely portrayed as safe, harmless, or medicine.
While this recognition cannot erase their grief, it affirms that their experiences are real, their voices matter, and their loved ones deserve to be remembered.
We are deeply grateful to President Donald J. Trump, ONDCP Director Sara A. Carter, Dr. Roneet Lev, and their staff for recognizing the Every Brain Matters Memorial and helping elevate the voices of families who have too often gone unheard.
Why the Memorial Matters
The Every Brain Matters Memorial honors lives, supports grieving families, preserves their stories, and helps educate the public about the potential harms associated with today’s potent THC products.
Every name represents a son, daughter, mother, father, sibling, spouse, friend, teammate, or neighbor who was deeply loved and whose absence continues to be felt every day.
The families who have chosen to share their loved one’s story have done so with extraordinary courage. Their stories honor the lives of those they have lost, help reduce the stigma surrounding marijuana-related harms, and offer hope to other families walking a similar path. By sharing their experiences, they are helping foster greater awareness, compassion, and understanding while ensuring their loved ones’ lives continue to make a difference.
Behind every name is a person whose life mattered.
The Work Must Continue
While this recognition is an important milestone, our work is far from over.
America still lacks a comprehensive system for identifying and tracking marijuana-related deaths and serious harms. THC is not routinely tested for or reported in many deaths, particularly those involving suicide, homicide, impaired driving, or other violent incidents. Without consistent toxicology testing and reporting, the true public health impact of today’s high-potency THC products will continue to be underestimated, leaving many families without answers.
At the same time, a growing body of scientific evidence continues to identify associations between THC, cannabis use disorder, psychosis, suicide, impaired driving, and violent behavior in some individuals. As researchers, physicians, law enforcement professionals, and public health officials continue examining these relationships, it is becoming increasingly clear that the effects of today’s high-potency THC products on the brain deserve far greater public awareness.
Better surveillance, comprehensive toxicology testing, and continued scientific research will help our nation more accurately understand the role THC may play in preventable deaths and serious harms.
Every Brain Matters believes that honest education, stronger prevention efforts, evidence-based public policy, and compassionate support for families can help prevent future tragedies.
Recognition is an important beginning—but it is not enough. Until marijuana-related deaths and serious harms are consistently identified, studied, and reported, we will never fully understand the impact of today’s high-potency THC products on individuals, families, and communities. Every preventable tragedy that goes unrecognized is a missed opportunity to save another life.
Looking Forward
The recognition of the Every Brain Matters Memorial in the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy is both a historic honor and a renewed call to action.
To every family who courageously entrusted us with the story of your loved one—thank you. Your willingness to transform unimaginable loss into hope for others has educated thousands of families, strengthened our mission, and helped bring national recognition to voices that were too often overlooked.
This recognition belongs to you.
Every Brain Matters will continue advocating for honest public education, stronger prevention, better research, comprehensive toxicology testing, improved surveillance of marijuana-related harms, and compassionate support for families whose lives have been forever changed.
Together, we will continue honoring those we have lost, supporting those left behind, and working toward a future where fewer families experience these heartbreaking tragedies.
Because behind every statistic is a person who was deeply loved.
And that is why Every Brain Matters.
Families who wish to honor a loved one by sharing their story, photographs, or memories are invited to visit the Every Brain Matters Memorial.
Aubree Adams, Director
