One Chance to Grow Up

08/06/2026

On August 4, 2026, a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general (34 states, plus the U.S. Virgin Islands) sent a letter to leadership. The message is short and unambiguous: leave the November 2025 h**p redefinition alone.

One Chance to Grow Up applauds the ongoing leadership from attorneys general across the country who understand this issue and are seeing the public impacts firsthand. Their letter couldn’t come at a more important time.

Over this past weekend a one-month delay was included in the Senate’s version of the Continuing Resolution. Any delay compromises progress already made by Congress and the growing number of states and communities aligning with the new federal framework. The loophole closure must proceed without delay.

One Chance to Grow Up strives to better support parents and trusted adults through educational information and resources.

08/06/2026

After a decade of incredible leadership, our Co-founder and Executive Director, Henny Lasley, has announced she is transitioning from her day-to-day role to a strategic governance position on our Executive Board.

If you know Henny, you know her heart. We are so deeply grateful for her wisdom, passion, and laser focus on protecting children. Thanks to Henny, One Chance to Grow Up has become a trusted, data-driven resource for parents, educators, and communities across the nation. She has laid a beautiful foundation for our future.

As we enter this exciting new chapter and search for our next Executive Director, our mission to protect kids remains as steadfast as ever. We are thrilled to share that Co-Founder Diane Carlson will step in to serve as President during this transition. Supported by our deeply experienced leadership team and staff, Diane will help us seamlessly continue our work on the front lines.

Our priorities haven't changed:
-Protecting youth from today’s high-THC products
-Stopping deceptive "gas station drugs" from reaching kids
-Advancing education to prevent youth substance use before it begins

To our wonderful community: thank you for believing in this mission and making this work possible. Your support fuels everything we do to protect children, strengthen families, and build healthier communities. We can't wait to see what we will accomplish together in the years ahead. 💙

Read the full update from our team here: https://onechancetogrowup.org/building-on-a-strong-foundation-next-chapters-for-one-chance-to-grow-up/

08/06/2026

Senator Ted Budd (North Carolina): "Today, we are talking about unregulated h**p-derived products being sold on the shelves of nearly every corner store in America. These intoxicating substances are hiding in plain sight—and they are putting our kids at risk. Parents should never have to fear that sending their child into a convenience store for a snack or a treat could mean that child walks out with a product that can get them high. That is not too much to ask. It is common sense."

👏 Refusing to stand down on this important issue requires extreme courage-- thank you Senator Budd for fighting for America's youth and for the full closure of the h**p loophole.

U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling for his Senate Colleagues to join his effort to permanently close the dangerous “h**p loophole” that has allowed the intoxicating h**p industry to sell unregulated h**p-derived products that have been marketed to Americ...

07/31/2026

Creating intoxicating products that resemble popular candies and snacks is key to the business model behind America’s dangerously deceptive gas station drugs. These THC products marketed as “h**p” and sold alongside everyday consumer products in gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, and online, but are knowingly intoxicating and designed to look harmless and familiar.

As the intoxicating h**p lobby pushes back on the impending federal loophole closure, Congress must stand strong by their decision to correct this problem and protect youth.

Read One Chance co-founder Diane Carlson's new op-ed in the Washington Examiner:

Dangerous THC candy exploits legal loopholes to harm childen. Congress must uphold its November ban on gas station ma*****na.

07/29/2026

🚨 URGENT ACTION ALERT: Decisions are happening THIS WEEK in Congress, and we need your voice! 🚨

Last year, thanks to advocate pressure, Congress closed the loophole that allowed dangerous, h**p-derived THC products—disguised as kid-friendly candy, snacks, and drinks—to be sold in everyday stores without age limits or safeguards.

That fix is set to take effect this November. But right now, as Congress negotiates the federal budget, industry lobbyists are trying to hijack the bill to delay or strip away these protections.

We can't let commercial interests override the safety of our kids. Delaying this law means more preventable pediatric poisonings, ER visits, and youth mental health harms. Kids only get one chance to grow up—we must protect them.

Tell your representatives to reject any delays and keep the h**p loophole closed!

👇 Click the link below to contact your members of Congress in just a few clicks: https://secure.everyaction.com/SEd7lkpKB0Oeb0kEzqlu_g2

(Please SHARE this post to help us spread the word before the vote!)

As Congress considers a continuing resolution to fund the government please tell your Congressional members to reject any language that would prevent the closure of the h**p loophole from going into effect as scheduled in November as Congress intended.

07/22/2026

One Chance National Policy Director Diane Carlson in STAT's article on h**p-derived THC beverages: “We had parents that thought that their child was buying CBD, and their child thought they were buying CBD, until they developed psychosis."
H**p-derived THC beverages continue to be a risk to youth, with availability beyond traditional dispensaries even in states that have not voted to legalized ma*****na. Ensuring that November's scheduled intoxicating h**p loophole closure proceeds without delay is paramount.
**p **ploophole

THC drinks, which have exploded in popularity in recent years, are sold in retail stores beside sodas, iced tea, and even chocolate milk, often in violation of state laws.

07/22/2026

One Chance to Grow Up's Whitney Yeager will be presenting this Saturday, July 25th, at UCCS (University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918) from 9:30 AM-10:25 AM as part of the 2026 El Paso Council PTA Fall Training!

Whitney will be sharing information parents and trusted adults need to know about today's high-potency THC products and their impacts on youth. Today's ma*****na is fundamentally different and can result in high-risk consequences for the developing brain. In this presentation, Whitney will tell her story, share important data, and convey helpful motivational interviewing tactics parents can use to have impactful conversations with their kids on this topic.

We hope to see you there! Learn more about this event here: https://elpasocouncilpta.givebacks.com/shop/items/a9888453ec7433

07/21/2026

One Chance's Whitney Yeager will be presenting at the El Paso Council PTA Fall Leadership Training this Saturday, July 25th at 9:30 AM-10:25AM held at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs! We're excited to be sharing at this great event and hope to see some of you there.

Join us for our annual El Paso Council Fall Leadership Training on Saturday, July 25th at UCCS

https://elpasocouncilpta.givebacks.com/shop/items/a9888453ec7433

07/20/2026

Talking with young people about today's high-potency THC products can feel challenging, especially when modern concentrates are vastly different from what existed years ago.
Our new webinar featuring Julie Penfound Dreifaldt on THC and Youth Mental Health offers parents and community members clear facts, medical insights, and practical tools to hold empathetic, grounded conversations with youth.

In the video, you will learn about:
-How high-potency THC impacts developing brains
-Key warning signs and details surrounding conditions like Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (CIP), Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), and Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD)
-Insights from medical expert Dr. Libby Stuyt and state regulatory reports

We all want our kids to grow up healthy and safe. Arming yourself with facts is one of the best ways to keep communication lines open. Watch the complete webinar here:

Current high-potency THC products have key differences from product...

07/19/2026

join One Chance and Julie Penfound Dreifaldt this November for a great confence at The Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference!

🌟 Featured Speaker Spotlight: Julie Dreifaldt 🌟

We're proud to feature Julie Dreifaldt, National Director of Outreach & Community Engagement for One Chance to Grow Up, to the 2026 Emerging Drug Trends Conference. Julie is a nationally recognized expert who empowers parents, educators, policymakers, and community leaders with science-based information on today's THC, ma*****na, h**p, and psilocybin products and their impact on youth.

As part of One Chance to Grow Up's commitment to education, be sure to watch their FREE webinar, THC 101: Products, Potencies, Problems, now available on YouTube. This informative primer explores today's high-potency THC products, youth-focused marketing, adolescent brain health, and practical ways trusted adults can help protect young people.

The Emerging Drug Trends Conference is proud to bring together nationally recognized professionals and subject matter experts like Julie, making it the leading conference in the nation for anyone seeking the latest information on emerging drug trends, prevention, enforcement, treatment, and community response.

🎟️ Watch the free webinar
🌟Register today for the 2026 Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference to learn from the nation's leading experts. ➡www.emergingdrugtrends.com
🔗 Link to webinar in Comments