Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Vermont Vote
Contact: Anisha Gianchandani
anisha@learnaboutsam.org
+1 (703) 828-8182
[Alexandria, VA, May 10, 2017] – Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from President Kevin Sabet in response to the Vermont legislature’s vote to legalize marijuana possession:
“We are disappointed by today’s vote in Vermont, but our fight is far from over,” said SAM President and CEO Kevin A. Sabet. “This legislation isn’t about criminal justice reform. Vermont already passed decriminalization legislation in 2013 – no criminal penalties for possessing up to an ounce of marijuana were being issued. This is about opening the doors to a new addictive industry being funded by Big Tobacco that will install retail pot shops in Vermont neighborhoods and lobby politicians to suppress common-sense regulation. We will continue to give a voice to parents, and public health and safety experts to encourage Governor Scott to choose people over profit and veto this harmful legislation.”
Evidence demonstrates that marijuana – which has skyrocketed in average potency over the past decades – is addictive and harmful to the human brain, especially when used by adolescents. Moreover, in states that have already legalized the drug, there has been an increase in drugged driving crashes and youth marijuana use. States that have legalized marijuana have also failed to shore up state budget shortfalls with marijuana taxes, continue to see a thriving black market, and are experiencing a continued rise in alcohol sales.