LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A young man who alleges he acquired cannabis-induced psychosis from using marijuana brand Stiiizy wants to keep his name out of pleadings in the case, but defense attorneys say he has no grounds to do so.
Identified only as John Doe, the plaintiff allegedly locked his mother in his parents’ bedroom and introduced a girl to his parents, but there was only an empty space next to him, according to his Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit.
On Monday, Judge Samantha Jessner will hear arguments on Doe’s request to remain anonymous, which he contends is necessary in order to protect his privacy and safety. His lawsuit allegations include fraud, strict products liability, negligence and breach of implied warranty.
“This case involves my private medical information, including ongoing mental illness and psychiatric diagnoses, cognitive impairment, my experiences with using cannabis as a minor, substance abuse, addiction, several hospitalizations and the fact that I currently take psychiatric medications,” Doe says in a sworn declaration.
The plaintiff further maintains that the potential stigma associated with his experiences could hinder his future educational and employment opportunities.
“I also fear that disclosing my identity to the public in this litigation could lead to my family and me suffering physical threats and harassment from the defendants, potentially nefarious members and proponents of the marijuana industry and other members of the public,” according to Doe.
“Furthermore, I am Asian-American and there are cultural stigmas attached to my experiences with mental illness, drug use and substance abuse.”
Doe further says his time using Stiizy vape products as a minor “damaged my physical and mental health and all my relationships and altered my educational and career trajectory. I want to prevent others from experiencing what I have experienced…”
In their court papers, Stiiizy attorneys contest that there is a reasonable fear of severe harm resulting from public disclosure of Doe’s identity.
“There is simply no evidence of any such threat other than the cited online comments directed to counsel in response to public-facing advertising websites seeking potential claimants,” according to the Stiiizy lawyers’ pleadings.
Granting pseudonymity in “this coordinated, complex action would impose unreasonable tangible burdens on both the defense and the judiciary that the current motion overlooks,” the Stiiizy lawyers further state in their court papers.
All briefs, declarations, exhibits and hearing transcripts would have to be checked for possible accidental disclosure of Doe’s name, according to the Stiiizy attorneys’ court papers.
When Stiiizy opened its Pomona dispensary in June 2021, appearances were made by rappers Xzibit and Too Short, according to the suit filed in December 2024, which also states that Stiiizy collaborated with the four-day Rolling Loud California music festival with what was described as an effort to “blend the electrifying world of Hip Hop with Stiiizy’s pioneering cannabis culture.”
Doe was an elite athlete at his high school, where vaping was common, the suit states.
“Plaintiff chose Stiiizy vapes because they were sleek, the designs were cool and sophisticated, the product was easy to use discreetly and the flavors were appealing to him and popular among his teenage friends as well as in the Stiiizy marketing and promotion he saw,” according to the complaint.
Doe believed that use of the vapes would lessen his sadness and help alleviate his anxiety and stress, the suit states.
In the middle of the night in March 2022, Doe was found shirtless and wet from jumping into a pool and he later told a police officer that a girl from school involved in witchcraft put a curse on him, the suit states. Ten months later, while standing outside his parents’ car, Doe asked them if he could bring a girl home and gestured to the empty space beside him to introduce them to her, the suit states.
The next day, Doe verbally confronted his parents, locked his mother in the couple’s bedroom and shouted that he “controlled” her, according to the suit, which further states the plaintiff continues having mental health problems and has had to get academic accommodations in order to succeed with his studies.