Washington, DC—Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) applauds major victories for public health in Congressional appropriations language from the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Committee and the Labor, Health, and Human Services Committee, including crucial SAM-authored language in the bill text barring the use of federal dollars on PSA-advertising that encourages drug use.
“We are delighted to see that Congress is fighting to make sure that federal prevention campaigns are actually preventing drug use,” said SAM CEO Kevin Sabet. “The inclusion in this bill text of our language forbidding the use of federal dollars to pay for dangerous ads like those promoted by the previous administration throughout 2025 is a major step towards that.
“That ‘prevention’ campaign spent taxpayer dollars making marijuana seem fun and cool and totally fine to use as long as you weren’t driving. But weed is extremely dangerous no matter where and how and when you use it. We’re thrilled to have authored this language and to have provided guidance to lawmakers on the issue. Many thanks are due to Rep. Ben Cline (VA) for leading the fight.
“Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is just one of the many ways in which weed shows how damaging it can be off the road: a condition also known as ‘scromiting,’, i.e. scream-vomiting, CHS sends people to the hospital with uncontrollable vomiting and searing pain. It has no known cure and is caused by using marijuana, especially today’s ultra-potent products, and its incidence rates have skyrocketed since 2016.
“Language in the bill report directs the CDC to release a CHS report within 180 days of enactment. That’s non-negotiable for public health: America needs to know about this danger.
“The profound normalizing effect of the President’s executive order on rescheduling, of course, only heightens the urgency around all these issues.”
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