(WASHINGTON, DC) – According to multiple media outlets, former president Donald J. Trump is expected to have secured the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to become the 47th President of the United States. Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) and Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President and CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, released the following statement on the election results:
“Voters by wide margins rejected the legalization of drugs like marijuana and psychedelics from red Florida to blue Massachusetts. We expect this Administration to listen to this message loud and clear: More drugs are not good for any community. As a new Administration takes office, we implore them now to follow the science and enact public health and safety approaches to drug policy when they assume office in January.
“With so many Americans dying, it’s time to renew America’s commitment to end this drug epidemic. This goes for all drugs, from fentanyl to highly potent marijuana. Commercializing and normalizing any drug, including marijuana and high-potency THC drugs, have been disastrous in every state where these policies have been attempted. Like liquor and nicotine stores, pot shops are being disproportionately concentrated in low-income communities and communities of color. These shops then concentrate their harm among residents who are more likely to be from disadvantaged groups. Federal marijuana legalization would empower the addiction industry’s biggest investors, including Wall Street, Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and Big Pharma.
“Supporting policies that exacerbate addiction will only breed more injustice. We must advance policies that promote widening awareness about today’s drug harms while also removing criminal penalties for low-level marijuana use and implementing expungements for those who deserve a second chance and those suffering from addiction. We hope the incoming administration will pursue a science-based approach to drug policy that truly benefits people, not the investors in the addiction-for-profit industry.”