General

SAM in Vermont to talk marijuana policy

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

SAM Statement: President Obama Says “No” To Legalizing Drugs

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. […]

SAM Statement: California Supreme Court – Cities can ban pot shops

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 […]

SAM cheers for Temple U. research

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.

SPECIAL EMAIL – SAM STATEMENT BY REPS. KENNEDY AND HARRIS

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, […]

Project SAM Discusses Link Between Marijuana and Mental Illness, Presents 40,000 Signatures in Favor of Marijuana Prevention

(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 […]

Kevin A. Sabet, Co-Founder of Project SAM offers comment on Rep. Dana Rohrbacher’s proposal for marijuana legalization:

“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 […]

Denver mayor takes strong stand on Colorado’s A64

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has issued a strong statement regarding implementation of Amendment 64, the state constitutional amendment Colorado voters approved last year to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

The consequences of Colorado’s A64

Colorado voters didn’t exactly think through Amendment 64, the state constitutional amendment they approved last year to legalize recreational use of marijuana.

Kevin Sabet joined Dr. Drew’s Podcast for an in-depth interview about the current policies on marijuana

Listen to the Dr. Drew Podcast with Kevin Sabet using the link below: http://drdrew.com/036-kevin-sabet/

SAM Statement on Pew Poll on Marijuana Legalization:

SAM Statement on Pew Poll on Marijuana Legalization: http://www.people-press.org/2013/04/04/majority-now-supports-legalizing-marijuana/ The survey’s results are an indication, more than anything, of the careless discussion about legalization currently going on in this country. That discussion is being funded with millions of dollars from those who will profit off of legalization – marijuana’s version of Big Tobacco – as […]

SAM Hawaii defeated the de facto legalization (“decriminalization”) bill

Monumental news! This just in: Despite the odds, SAM Hawaii defeated the de facto legalization (“decriminalization”) bill in the legislature that was destined to easily pass a month ago, just prior to SAM’s trip to the islands! Working with local community advocates and supportive legislators, SAM’s team, led by Patrick Kennedy and Kevin Sabet, held […]

SAM Talks with Lawmakers in Hawaii

HONOLULU — Opponents of decriminalizing marijuana in this state have a new partner — a prominent national figure who has made it a point to fight legislation through education. Patrick Kennedy is the co-chair of Project SAM — Smart Approaches to Marijuana, or SAM.

Amendment already ‘hamstrings’ Colorado

Denver journalist Christine Tatum, a friend to SAM, writes: “It’s troubling that every regulatory framework of marijuana Colorado is considering is outside the bounds of federal law — and that the one regulatory framework that stands to save more lives and public resources is the very one its lawmakers haven’t found the political will to […]

Idaho Senate committee makes smart move

We at Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) commend the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee for sending two anti-marijuana resolutions to the full state Senate with “do-pass recommendations.”

‘What we need is less drug use’

We appreciate your letters of support which — like this one that arrived today from Joyce Morris in Colorado — encourage and energize(!) our volunteers. We invite you to contact us — and to support SAM.

Sabet speaks with Huffington Post D.C. bureau chief

Kevin Sabet fields questions about marijuana legalization while also speaking with Ryan Grim, Washington, D.C., bureau chief of The Huffington Post. He also got a chance to speak about our organization — and to explain why Big Marijuana is girding to go the ways of Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol — unless more of us […]

SAM Sends Letter to the Hon. Attorney General Eric Holder to Enforce the Controlled Substances Act

  Patrick Kennedy, Co-chair of SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) sent a  letter to  the Hon. Eric Holder today regarding the marijuana initiatives in CO and WA, on behalf of CADCA, NADCP, NNOAC, SAM, AAP-Colorado, and Smart Colorado. Click below to read the letter. FEB KENNEDY LETTER – DOJ Thank you.    

The real skinny on SAM: a response to Maia Szalavitz

Columnist Maia Szalavitz devoted 1000 words on TheFix.com last week to single-handedly bash a project she clearly does not know much about.

Dr. Thurstone: Keep marijuana stores away from schools

Dr. Christian Thurstone: “It really blows my mind that this is even a debate … that we even have to really push hard to get them away from schools.”

Sabet debates marijuana legalization

SAM Director Kevin Sabet debates Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance on July 17, 2012 on CNN Newsroom with Carol Costello.

Prohibition’s real lessons for drug policy

Prohibition — America’s notoriously “failed social experiment” to rid the country of alcohol — took center stage this week as PBS broadcast Ken Burns’ highly acclaimed series on the subject. And already, it has been seized on by drug legalization advocates, who say it proves that drug prohibition should be abandoned. But a closer look […]