General

Even parents who support marijuana legalization expect strong regulation of the drug that includes bans on public use and advertising of any kind, according to the results of a national survey released today in Denver by The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Join members of the Washington Association for Substance Abuse & Violence Prevention to hear the latest information about evidence-based interventions that potentially prevent marijuana use in the youth you care about.

In line with recent calls for Washington to “get it right” and for “strict controls” on the state’s new marijuana marketplace, the Washington Association for Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention (WSAVP) recommends the implementation of policies to prevent youth marijuana use and promote healthy communities.

As The Daily Chronic reports, Washington is many months away from implementing a state-regulated marijuana market.

Owners of rental property in Washington are reviewing their housing policies in light of the legalization of recreational marijuana by voters in that state.

In Congress, I voted many times to allow access to medical marijuana. Those votes reflected my early, uneducated views. I never looked too closely — I didn’t realize “medical marijuana” was the Trojan horse for legalization. When I woke up after the 2012 election, two states had voted to legalize marijuana. That day I also […]

“The legalization of marijuana is moving fast in parts of the United States and it looks as though the domino effect could quickly move to other states such as Hawaii,” said former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Project SAM chairman. “We decided to bring SAM to Hawaii to spur discussions about marijuana use and misuse.”

The bill’s death concluded weeks of debate about the drug that attracted fervent testimony from both marijuana advocates and law enforcement officials.

To track information about the rules concerning medical marijuana in Massachusetts, visit this page on the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ website.

The 52 pages of regulations that were approved unanimously by the state Public Health Council will allow patients approved for medical marijuana to receive up to 10 ounces as a 60-day supply, though some acutely ill patients could receive more with permission from their doctors.

As Boston magazine reports, the official medical marijuana regulations crafted by the Department of Public Health aren’t even fully in effect, and already, activists are planting the seed for the next step in the pot saga — full legalization of the drug.

“While the current conversation in Vermont about marijuana is decriminalization, the legalization of marijuana is moving fast in parts of the United States, and it looks as though the domino effect could quickly move to other states such as Vermont,” said former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Project SAM’s chairman.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill that decriminalizes marijuana, making possession of less than an ounce of the drug punishable by a small fine rather than arrest and possible jail time. Under the new law, those under age 21 who are caught with marijuana will be required to undergo substance abuse screening.

SAM Co-founder Kevin Sabet, a former senior White House drug policy advisor, responds to The Washington Post’s publication of Doug Fine’s column, headlined: “Five Myths About Legalized Marijuana:” In recent years, The Washington Post has managed to strike a balance between pro- and anti-legalization opinion pieces (e.g. Rauch’s “Let’s Go Down the Aisle Toward Legalized […]

Legalization advocates have been crying foul since SAM Director Kevin Sabet quoted directly from a report by Seattle Schools saying that 39% of kids who used marijuana received their drug from a medical marijuana dispensary. It’s not so strange that some advocates responded that way – after all, the first bit of data released showed […]

An Organization of American States study is calling for a serious discussion about marijuana policy. The report, issued today, is a good first step, but should not be construed as an endorsement of marijuana legalization or policies outside United Nations drug control treaties, said two former top U.S. drug policy officials who served on the […]

At meeting with state legislators in Atlanta, Ga., today, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said the dichotomy of “punishment versus rehabilitation” oversimplifies the issue of marijuana legalization. He said he worries about legal marijuana being marketed to kids; presumes marijuana revenues will be outweighed by the costs of abuse; and favors arrests for users that […]

Click link to watch video: http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01221&video=151884    

Today, Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) Director Kevin A. Sabet released a statement: “We applaud the President for definitively expressing that legalization is not the answer to our drug problems. President Obama’s drug strategy emphasizes a comprehensive approach to drug policy based on reducing the demand and supply for drugs in the United States. […]

Release: May 6, 2013 Today, Kevin A. Sabet, Director of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) released this statement on the California Supreme Court decision specifying that cities and towns can ban medical marijuana “dispensaries”:   “It is universally accepted that California’s medical marijuana system is a sad joke. This unanimous decision by the California […]

Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) applauds Temple University’s Center for Substance Abuse Research (CSAR) for their discovery into the potential medical benefits of synthetic derivatives of marijuana for HIV/AIDS patients.

Federal and state attorneys general must take action to end marijuana standoff, promote public and mental health FOR RELEASE May 2, 2013 STATEMENT TO THE PRESS BY: Patrick J. Kennedy, on behalf of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (Project SAM) Lead Sponsor of Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (D) Congressman Andy Harris, MD Medical Doctor, […]

(Washington, DC) – Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) held a briefing today at the House Rayburn building (room 2203) to discuss the link between marijuana and mental illness. They also presented almost 40,000 signatures to the House and Senate leadership in support of marijuana prevention and in opposition to marijuana legalization. “Science has revealed […]

“Mr Rohrbacher’s latest attempt to legalize marijuana will likely suffer the same fate as his several previous failed attempts have over the past decade. The Pew poll was just that — one poll. It reflects, more than anything, the lopsided discussion about legalization in this country. I’d like to know how how many of those […]