A young man suing cannabis brand Stiiizy says its high-potency vape products left him with lasting cannabis-induced psychosis, and he is now asking a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to let him move forward under a fake name.
The plaintiff, identified only as "John Doe" in filings, argues that putting his real name on the case would broadcast deeply personal medical information, including ongoing mental health diagnoses, hospitalizations, and medications. He says that kind of exposure could invite harassment, hurt his family, and derail both his education and career prospects. Lawyers for Stiiizy are pushing back, saying anonymity would unfairly burden the defense and the courts.
The fight over whether Doe can keep his name off public pleadings is set to land before Judge Samantha P. Jessner, according to MyNewsLA, which reviewed the motion papers from both sides. In a sworn declaration, Doe wrote that the case involves "private medical information, including ongoing mental illness and psychiatric diagnoses" and warned that outing his identity could expose his family to threats and harassment. The defense counters that any evidence of threats so far consists of online comments aimed at counsel and argues, according to the opposition, that the public’s right to open courts outweighs Doe’s privacy concerns.
Behind the anonymity battle is a broader civil suit that accuses Stiiizy and related entities of fraud, strict products liability, negligence, and breach of implied warranty. Doe alleges he began using Stiiizy vape products while he was still a minor. The complaint, filed by attorneys at Rouda Feder, Lieff Cabraser, and Ribera Law Firm, details multiple psychotic episodes, several hospital stays, and continuing psychiatric treatment that the filing links to what it labels cannabis-induced psychosis. The full list of allegations and legal theories is laid out in the court complaint lodged in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The lawsuit also zeroes in on Stiiizy’s branding and promotions, casting them as part of a youth-friendly lifestyle push. It points to the company’s Pomona grand opening in June 2021, which featured appearances by Xzibit and Too Short, and a 2024 partnership with Rolling Loud California. Stiiizy’s own Pomona store page lists the shop at 1605 W. Holt Ave. and recounts the June 26, 2021, opening date referenced in the suit. Plaintiffs’ lawyers say those kinds of celebrity tie-ins, along with sleek device design and playful flavor names, made the vapes especially attractive to teenagers and easy to use discreetly, and they fold those examples into their warnings and marketing claims.
Public health reporting has flagged a rise in emergency room visits involving cannabis-related psychosis. KQED reported that California ER visits coded as cannabis-induced psychosis climbed from 682 in 2016 to 1,053 in 2019. Industry coverage has also followed a series of similar lawsuits that accuse cannabis brands of youth-aimed marketing and weak age checks, according to MJBizDaily and other outlets. Attorneys for Doe say that the combination of litigation trends and public health data underscores the need to scrutinize how high-THC vapes are marketed and labeled.
How courts weigh 'Doe' requests
California courts do allow "Doe" plaintiffs in limited situations, but it is not a free pass. Judges are supposed to balance a plaintiff’s privacy interests against the public’s strong presumption of access to court proceedings.
Appellate decisions, including the case known as Doe v. Lincoln Unified School District, and related authorities instruct trial courts to look at factors such as how sensitive the information is, how old the plaintiff is, and whether there is a real risk of retaliation or harm if the person is identified. The opinion in that case is available through FindLaw. Both Doe’s lawyers and Stiiizy’s team have cited this body of law as they jockey over what level of anonymity, if any, is warranted here.
Judge Jessner is scheduled to hear arguments on Monday, March 30, 2026. Her decision will determine whether the lawsuit moves forward with a pseudonym on the caption and could influence how future cannabis-psychosis cases play out in California courts. MyNewsLA first reported on the pending anonymity dispute and has posted the declarations and filings at the heart of the fight.
