MILLBURN, N.J., July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) has launched a bold new public awareness campaign urging parents across the state to confront a troubling truth: the illicit marijuana their children have access to today is far more potent than the cannabis they may have encountered as teens.

The campaign, which will appear on billboards across New Jersey, is titled "More Than Just the Music Has Changed." It aims to educate parents about the dramatic increase in illicit marijuana potency over the past few decades and its serious mental health risks for adolescents, including the link between high-potency cannabis and psychosis.

"Today's marijuana is not the same drug many parents might remember," said Elaine Pozycki, Chair of PDFNJ. "We created this campaign as a wake-up call. Parents need to understand the risks of today's high-potency cannabis products and talk with their kids before use begins."

As part of the campaign, PDFNJ highlights that some illicit marijuana products available to teens today can be as much as 307 times more potent than what their parents may have encountered. This striking comparison serves as a central message in the billboard outreach.

Research published in the journal Addiction found that average THC concentrations in cannabis have increased by more than 200% over the past few decades. Meanwhile, Scientific American reports that regular use of high-potency cannabis can lead to a fivefold increase in the risk of psychosis, especially in adolescents whose brains are still developing.

The billboard campaign will run throughout the year in multiple counties across New Jersey. For more information and resources for parents, visit www.drugfreenj.org.

Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership's New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey's history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 230 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

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SOURCE Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey