Ginger Katz
An outspoken opponent of the movement to legalize medical marijuana, Ginger Katz became a leading figure in the war on drugs after her son died of a heroin overdose in 1996.  She formed the Courage to Speak Foundation a year later, hoping to prevent her own tragedy from befalling other families, and now speaks to national audiences and local communities about the dangers of drugs.  Legalizing medical marijuana, she argues, will only pave the way for a culture of widespread drug abuse. Ginger has spoken at over five hundred schools across the country, relating the story of her own personal tragedy to students who may have considered experimenting with drugs.  She created the Courage to Speak Support Group to help parents like herself who have lost sons and daughters to drug abuse.  Her stance on the legalization of medical marijuana is unequivocal: it will send the wrong message to both children and adults that drug use is acceptable, even healthy, behavior.  She currently co-chairs Parents for the Partnership for a Drug Free America, and is on the board of the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery.