General

Federal officials could soon be easing restrictions on marijuana under new recommendations issued this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “This is not the time to be saying this drug is not a big deal,” Luke Niforatos said. “This is the time to be saying we need to be cautious with this […]

Luke Niforatos, executive vice president for Smart Approaches to Marijuana, earlier called more research into marijuana-based medications a “good thing.” But the group wants marijuana to stay right where it is, at Schedule 1. “From a scientific perspective, (it) makes no sense to change,” he said. “What we’ve learned from the science … it’s not […]

The potential move was not greeted warmly by cannabis opponents at Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who said the recommendation “reeks of politics.” The organization, which was active in the campaign to defeat an Arkansas recreational marijuana amendment at the ballot box in November, said the science has “become more damning against marijuana in recent years.” […]

Recommendation that Marijuana Remain Illegal Is Sound, But There is No Justification to Downgrade to Schedule  (WASHINGTON, DC) – Following media reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending to the Drug Enforcement Agency the rescheduling of marijuana as a Schedule III substance, Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and former White House […]

PHARMACIES SELLING ILLICIT DRUGS RISK HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR CONSUMERS New Regulations Would Turn Pharmacies into Pot Shops Without Community Input (WASHINGTON, DC) – Despite the longstanding position of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which maintain that marijuana is a Schedule I drug that does not have […]

The organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) said medical cannabis is already legal for patients who need it in Hawaii. The president of SAM said recreational cannabis is a totally different topic. “It’s about fundamentally changing your community,” said SAM president Kevin Sabet, “you know, do you want to see a pot shop and smell […]

(WASHINGTON, DC) — Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the nation’s leading drug policy organization focused on protecting Americans from the addiction industry, released the following statement in reaction to the release of a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Open Network of data from nearly 1,500 primary care patients in Washington State, where marijuana and […]

Big Banks, Big Marijuana Searching for New Ways to Skirt Federal Law, Protect Drug Dealers (WASHINGTON, DC) – Wells Fargo, the nation’s fourth largest bank, is looking to supersize its operation by becoming the official bank for drug money in Maryland. Big Banks partnering with Big Marijuana isn’t new, despite the claims of pro-addiction activists. […]

GOP Hopeful Backs Expanding Drug Use Despite Damning Medical Data, Skyrocketing Rates of Use (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the nation’s leading marijuana policy organization, issued the following response today to Republican Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision to support the federal legalization of THC drugs produced from marijuana. “Parents, medical professionals and law […]

Sale of Eight Beer Brands by Faltering Anheuser-Busch to Major Marijuana Drug Company Risks Diluting Regulations Leading to More Dangerous, Drinkable Drug Products (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), released the following statement today in response to Anheuser-Busch’s sale of eight of its brands including Shock Top, Blue Point, Breckenridge Brewery, Redhook Brewery and HiBall […]

Luke Niforatos, executive vice president with the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, says lawmakers made the right decision in banning the chemicals. “There’s very little regulation, if any, going on with these products. We don’t know what’s in them… some of the research has shown [products] to have heavy metals, pesticides,” Niforatos said. “So it’s […]

Lawmakers Knew the Risks to Public Health and Safety, Now They Bear Responsibility FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscollbob@learnaboutsam.org716-307-7406 (ST. PAUL, MN) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former Obama drug policy advisor, released the following statement in advance of marijuana and THC-infused drugs […]

“Over the last decade, the drive to legalize marijuana has been the subject of a significant public relations campaign. Throughout the country, the push to erase any stigma associated with marijuana has essentially become part of contemporary pop culture. In a vast effort to influence perceptions, musicians, actors, media personalities, and professional athletes have endorsed […]

“While lawmakers in Raleigh are divided over medical marijuana, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will vote later this summer whether to allow it for recreational use on tribal land.” Read the entire article, here.

“In states bucking the federal law banning marijuana, legalization has ushered in an unprecedented level of normalization and commercialization. There are now more daily users of THC products than daily users of alcohol, and usage among young adults is at the highest level ever. In the last 10 years, the number of marijuana users increased by more than […]

“This is why we don’t ram through legislation in a Special Session before anybody can spot problems with the bill because then we have stuff like this come out,” says Luke Niforatos, Vice-President of the advocacy group S.A.M. (Smart Approaches to Marijuana). “Your viewers should be very concerned about the fact that (the state is) not looking […]

Q&A: Anti-marijuana group explains opposition to NC bill “Many have been asking why we led the campaign that has so far deterred passage of N.C. Senate Bill 3, the bill that sought to legalize “medical marijuana.” The answer is simple: marijuana is not approved by the FDA “for the treatment of any disease or condition.” […]

“Over the last decade, the drive to legalize marijuana has been the subject of a significant public relations campaign. Throughout the country, the push to erase any stigma associated with marijuana has essentially become part of contemporary pop culture. In a vast effort to influence perceptions, musicians, actors, media personalities, and professional athletes have endorsed […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 13, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscollbob@learnaboutsam.org716-307-7406 Lawmakers Reject NDAA Amendments Allowing Use of THC Drugs by Military Recruits, Other Dangerous Proposals (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, released the following statement today in […]

Lawmakers See Through Medical Marijuana Ruse That is a Backdoor to Full Commercial THC Industry FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 7, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org716-307-7406 (RALEIGH, NC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana: North Carolina (SAM Action NC) released the following statement today praising North Carolina lawmakers as “medical marijuana” fails to advance in the current session of […]

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action)released the following statement today in response to Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz’s irrational proposal to solve military recruitment deficits by ending drug testing for THC, the psychoactive component extracted from marijuana.  “Use of THC drugs by military recruits has surged 33 percent in recent years and […]

Listen to Dr. Kevin Sabet’s commentary here.

Listen to the clip below.

Watch the entire news segment here.