SAM President Kevin Sabet goes live with BNN

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SAM President Kevin Sabet went live with Canada’s Business News Network (BNN) this week, arguing that North Americans don’t need another Big Tobacco – we already saw one lie to us for decades. Watch here.

Kevin Sabet comments for Las Vegas Review-Journal

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SAM President Kevin Sabet commented for Las Vegas Review-Journal over the weekend, arguing that Nevadans should start examining the costs of marijuana legalization and spend more time putting safeguards into place. You can read the full piece here.

SAM President Kevin Sabet Pens Op-ed for CNBC on Failed Promises of Legal Pot

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SAM President Kevin Sabet wrote an op-ed for CNBC arguing the commercial marijuana industry hasn’t lived up to its promises, and that by reasserting federal control over the exploding marijuana industry, we can prevent the commercialization of a drug that will put profits over public health – Read the full piece here.

SAM Statement on Marijuana Industry Report on Colorado Marijuana Tax Revenue

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SAM Statement: Marijuana Industry Report on Colorado Marijuana Tax Revenue   (Alexandria, VA)-Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the nation’s leading non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting evidenced-based marijuana laws released the following statement in response to a new report by the marijuana industry on marijuana revenue:    “Like the tobacco industry before it, the […]

SAM President Kevin Sabet for The Hill

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SAM President Kevin Sabet penned a new piece for The Hill, explaining why the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment would benefit criminal organizations. Read it here.

SAM Statement on Drug Policy Alliance Report Calling for the Decriminalization of All Drugs

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(Alexandria, VA) – Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a national organization dedicated to promoting evidenced-based marijuana laws and policies, released the following statement in response to a new report from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) calling for the decriminalization of all drugs: “We cannot incarcerate our way out of our nation’s drug problem,” said […]

SAM Statement Regarding Removal of DOJ Marijuana Enforcement Barriers from Proposed CJS Appropriations Bill

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SAM Statement Regarding Removal of DOJ Marijuana Enforcement Barriers from Proposed CJS Appropriations Bill [Alexandria, VA — June 29, 2017]  “On April 4, Representatives Rohrabacher and Blumenauer, two Members of Congress funded by illegal marijuana operations selling pot candies to kids, wrote appropriators asking to include their pro-marijuana language in a base spending bill—and they […]

Marijuana Industry Loses Key Protection from Federal Enforcement in Proposed Spending Bill

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[ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 28, 2017]–A proposed government spending bill released today eliminated a provision that has protected the marijuana industry from federal prosecution for violating the Controlled Substances Act. The Rohrabacher-Farr language was eliminated from the Commerce, Justice, Science bill that funds the Department of Justice. In addition, the Financial Services bill retained language preventing […]

Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Marijuana Study Committee in Rhode Island

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Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Marijuana Study Committee in Rhode Island   Contact: Anisha Gianchandani anisha@learnaboutsam.org (703) 828-8182   [Alexandria, Va.] –  Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet in response to the passage of a Rhode Island bill to study the effects of marijuana legalization (H.5551): […]

PNC Bank Closing Bank Accounts of Major Marijuana Lobby-Industry Group

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PNC Bank Closing Bank Accounts of Major Marijuana Lobby-Industry Group as Potential DOJ Enforcement Looms over Pot Businesses and Companies Who Service Them   [Alexandria, Va.] — Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a non-partisan, non-profit group focused on evidence-based drug policy, highlighted an announcement that PNC Bank is closing the bank accounts of the Marijuana Policy […]

SAM President Kevin Sabet Speaks Out on Defeat of Marijuana Legalization in Vermont

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Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Defeat of Vermont Marijuana Legalization   [Alexandria, VA, June 21, 2017] – Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet in response to the conclusion of a special legislative session in Vermont which failed to pass a marijuana legalization bill:   “This is a […]

New Study Finds Costs of Marijuana-Impaired Driving in Canada Total More Than $1 Billion

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New Study Finds Costs of Marijuana-Impaired Driving in Canada Total More Than $1 Billion A new study led by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) found that the estimated cost of marijuana-impaired driving injuries, collisions, and fatalities totaled more than $1 billion in 2012. Teens and young adults between the ages of […]

Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet on Senators Booker and Gillibrand’s Marijuana Legislation to Bypass FDA

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Statement by President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana on Senators Booker and Gillibrand’s Marijuana Legislation to Bypass FDA   [Alexandria, VA, June 15, 2017] – Today, Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a national group promoting evidence-based marijuana laws, issued the following statement regarding medical marijuana legislation introduced by Senators Booker […]

Coalition of Concerned Citizens in Compton, CA Urge AG Sessions to Stop Marijuana Commercialization

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Coalition of Concerned Citizens in Compton, CA Urge Attorney General Sessions to Stop Marijuana Commercialization   Leaders in Underserved Community to Speak Out About Marijuana Industry Takeover of Neighborhoods; Present Citizen Petition Asking Department of Justice to Intervene   (Alexandria, VA, June 12, 2017) – Today, a grassroots and broad-based coalition of concerned residents and […]

Tobacco Wholesalers Seeking Marijuana Monopoly

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Tobacco Wholesalers Seeking Marijuana Monopoly   More evidence emerged today about the intent of corporate interests to take over the legal marijuana industry.  According to a report published in the Boston Globe today, the industry involved in delivering and taxing cigarettes sold in Massachusetts is now trying to take advantage of the new law to […]

SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet on NPR Chicago

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SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet went live on NPR Chicago this morning. Take a listen to his complete rundown on marijuana policy (including legalization’s worsening impact on racial disparity, and why legalizing marijuana won’t make Illinois richer) here.

Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Marijuana Bill Veto in Vermont

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Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Marijuana Bill Veto in Vermont   Contact: Anisha Gianchandani anisha@learnaboutsam.org +1 (703) 828-8182   [Alexandria, VA, May 24, 2017] – Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet in response to Governor Scott’s decision to veto marijuana legalization in Vermont:   […]

Statement From SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Today’s White House ONDCP Budget Proposal

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Statement From SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Today’s White House ONDCP Budget Proposal   Contact: Anisha Gianchandani anisha@learnaboutsam.org (703) 828-8182   [Alexandria, VA, May 23, 2017] –  Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet in response to the Trump administration’s budget proposal:   “We are relieved […]

SAM President Kevin Sabet Featured in NJ’s Asbury Park Press ‘@ ISSUE’

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[Alexandria, VA, May 19, 2017] – Today, SAM President Kevin Sabet was featured in an extensive Q&A for Asbury Park Press “@ Issue” in New Jersey. Click on this link or see below for more.   The ongoing effort by New Jersey Senate Democrats to legalize recreational marijuana took another step forward last week with […]

National Marijuana Policy Group Reacts to Rep. Garrett’s Proposed Marijuana Commercialization Law

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Statement by President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana on Congressman Garrett’s Support for Marijuana Commercialization              Today, Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a national group promoting evidence-based marijuana laws, issued the following statement regarding Congressman Garrett’s proposed legislation that would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances […]

Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Vermont Vote

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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 […]

Slew of New Research Mounts on Failures of Marijuana Legalization: Pot Shops Linked to More Youth Use, More Crime, No Reductions in Drinking

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Slew of New Research Mounts on Failures of Marijuana Legalization: Pot Shops Linked to More Youth Use, More Crime, No Reductions in Drinking Over the past several years, states that have legalized marijuana have suffered from a wide array of unintended consequences. States with legal marijuana continue to see a thriving black market, increases in […]

Marijuana and the Opioid Epidemic: Separating Fact from Fiction

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Marijuana and the Opioid Epidemic: Separating Fact from Fiction   Advocates for marijuana legalization have touted cannabis as a cure-all for just about everything. Over the years, claims have been made that the drug can “kill” cancer cells, cure alcoholism and – yes – even eliminate morning sickness. So with the tragic rise in the […]

Colorado: New Study Finds ER visits for Cannabis Quadrupled Since Legalization

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Colorado: New Study Finds ER visits for Cannabis Quadrupled Since Legalization A new study being released next week by the American Academy of Pediatrics has revealed more troubling consequences stemming from the commercialization of marijuana in Colorado.  Per NBC News: The number of teenagers sent to emergency rooms more than quadrupled after marijuana was legalized […]