As the State Marks A Decade of Marijuana Sales, SAM Urges Serious Reforms
(OLYMPIA, WA) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, issued the following statement today in advance of Washington’s 10th anniversary of commercial marijuana sales:
“Ten years since opening the commercial marijuana flood gates, Washington should be the canary in the coal mine for states considering sales of dangerous THC drugs. What do Washingtonians have to show for their embrace of the addiction-for-profit industry? A more than 3x increase in fatal crashes, a 60 precent increase in the number of calls to poison control centers, a 10 percent increase in past-year marijuana use among people 12 and older, and nearly half of 18 to 25-year-olds having used marijuana in the past year.
“Big Marijuana isn’t about social justice or ‘recreation.’ It’s about creating a profit-driven industry at the expense of those suffering from addiction and substance use disorders. Today’s high-potency marijuana and THC drugs are medically and scientifically linked to lower IQ, psychosis, depression, suicidality, motor impairment, and schizophrenia, among other consequences. Those consequences will only get worse, especially for young people, as the industry continues to push its kid-friendly THC-laced drugs like candies, sodas, cookies, gummies, and other products, some of which can have 99 percent potency.
“Washington’s political leaders should put forward meaningful reforms including enacting strict potency caps and expand educational resources to ensure young people know the dangers associated with these drugs. The state must also redouble its efforts to raise awareness about the serious risks of driving while impaired. The marijuana industry cannot be allowed to continue to push its addiction-for-profit model that’s wreaking havoc on communities across the state.”