General

SAM Co-Founder Patrick Kennedy asks President Barack Obama to round up federal agencies and shine spotlight on mental, physical harms of marijuana.

Dr. Christian Thurstone, a member of SAM’s board of directors, gives several reasons why children with severe epilepsy should avoid the CBD oil product known as “Charlotte’s Web.”

ALBANY–  The New York Affiliate of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), a nonpartisan alliance of lawmakers, scientists and other concerned citizens, coordinated by Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD) and chaired nationally by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, expressed concern today that the New York State […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Justice Department’s support for a reduction in sentences for nonviolent drug offenders is a step in the right direction — and one that shows marijuana legalization is unnecessary to reform any problematic drug laws, says Smart Approaches to Marijuana (Project SAM), a national, volunteer nonprofit co-founded by former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd ate a marijuana edible in Denver, and we hope you’ll read her full report about the experience.

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York affiliate of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) and a nonpartisan alliance of lawmakers, scientists and other concerned citizens coordinated by Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD) and chaired nationally by former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, applaud today the State […]

DENVER — Five months after Colorado became the first state to allow recreational marijuana sales, the battle over legalization is still raging. Law enforcement officers in Colorado and neighboring states, emergency room doctors and legalization opponents increasingly are highlighting a series of recent problems as cautionary lessons for other states flirting with loosening marijuana laws.

Click here to read our factsheet and background document on the Rohrabacher Amendment.

The State of Georgia and GW Pharmaceuticals have forged an unprecedented agreement that is a smart, compassionate way to ensure children with intractable epilepsy receive a new medication based on a non-intoxicating component of cannabis.

There is no debate: marijuana is addictive and harmful to brain development, and current trends showing increased use among adolescents are profoundly troubling, Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told thousands of people gathered last week in Washington, D.C., for an annual meeting of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, […]

Of the 2.4 million Americans who try marijuana for the first time each year, 58 percent are under the age of 18. That’s why when we’re debating drug policy and the impact of marijuana on society, we cannot ignore kids. Because the brain isn’t fully formed until about the age of 25, youth are especially […]

A statement issued by the University of Colorado School of Medicine: AURORA, Colo. (May 15, 2014) – The proportion of marijuana-positive drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado has increased dramatically since the commercialization of medical marijuana in the middle of 2009, according to a study by University of Colorado School of Medicine […]

The world of marijuana is changing. And that means the world of marijuana-related news stories is also changing. With two states having legalized the drug, there is certainly a lot to write and talk about.

SAM’s Chairman, Patrick Kennedy, speaks to Global News BC1 in Vancouver about the dangers of marijuana use and legalization.

Patrick Kennedy and Christopher Kennedy Lawford join Chris Matthews for a second time to discuss marijuana legalization in the United States.

SAM’s Director, Kevin Sabet, joins Bill O’Reilly to discuss marijuana legalization in the United States.

SAM’s Board Member, Christopher Kennedy Lawford and Chairman, Patrick Kennedy, join Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s Hardball to discuss recovery.

Following consultation with Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) and Dr. Kevin Sabet, Senator Susan Collins of Maine asks FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, about the development of FDA-approved marijuana-based medicines.    

SAM is pleased to team with more than 50 drug-prevention groups and agencies in Missouri to present the Missouri Marijuana Prevention Tour!

A groundbreaking, new study, published April 16 in the Journal of Neuroscience, is consistent with research showing that the more marijuana people use, and the earlier they start using the drug, the more likely they are to harm what one researcher said is “part of the brain you do not want to mess around with.”

We hope you’ll review SAM’s 4/20 Report Card: Colorado. This document, culled from many public records, prevents early data revealing troubling developments in that state.

SAM CHAIRMAN PATRICK KENNEDY BRIEFS ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS AT CAMP DAVID ON TROUBLING DATA FROM COLORADO New report released by SAM reveals problems with legalization, including increased marijuana positives among employees, marijuana advertisements, new data on marijuana’s effects on the brain, and tobacco company interest in marijuana e-cigarettes. DENVER, CO – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) […]

SAM is happy to announce that it will hold its first annual National Marijuana Action Summit this summer! July 19-20 at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Preceding the CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute Click here to see why your sector should attend! Visit midyear.cadca.org/samsummit for more details! Speakers include: Patrick Kennedy Dr. Kevin Sabet David Frum […]

Commentary: Don’t Go To Pot The 50 states are sometimes called “laboratories of democracy”. Although the expression is intended to highlight in flattering terms how innovative they can be, it also suggests that the states’ political experiments can and do fail. In the event of failure, the hope must be that damage can be stopped […]