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More worrying news on how marijuana can drive severe mental illness: A systematic review published in Biomolecules in March found that “cannabinoids likely contribute to chronic psychotic events and schizophrenia, especially if taken during adolescence.” The review found that the odds ratio of developing psychosis-like events or schizophrenia was 2.88—with a twofold greater risk among […]

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), and Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President of SAM, released the following statement congratulating Doug Simon on being named the new director of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance (ODAPC): “On behalf of SAM, we want to extend our […]

SAM Applauds the Texas State Senate, House for Passing Critical Reforms to Eliminate Hemp-Derived THC Drug Products  (AUSTIN, TX) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement upon the Texas House of Representative’s passage of SB3, which would prohibit sales of hemp-derived THC drug […]

New Legislation Bans Sales of Drugs with THC-A Levels Above 0.3% (NASHVILLE, TN) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement today applauding Governor Bill Lee’s signing of HB1376, which severely restricts the addiction industry’s ability to sell dangerous, psychoactive hemp-derived cannabinoid products in […]

Swapping one addictive, mind-altering substance for another isn’t harm reduction—it’s exploitation. THC in liquid form shouldn’t be sold as filling a niche for those wanting to quit alcohol (“Your Health: Drinks With Weed Gain Popularity,” Personal Journal, May 5). THC drinks are the latest scheme to rebrand intoxication and keep vulnerable people trapped in a […]

New DEA Report Finds Rise in Marijuana Potency Increasing, Expansion of the Illicit Market, Growing Concerns about Youth Vaping and Environmental Damage (WASHINGTON, DC) – The rapid-expansion of state-legal marijuana marketplaces across the United States has been an unequivocable failure according to new data released by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) 2025 National Drug Threat […]

Prevention remains one of the most effective and cost-conscious tools we have in our fight against the drug crisis. This National Prevention Week, we urge lawmakers to renew their investments in prevention and push back against industry-backed efforts to normalize drug use. To maximize their effectiveness, prevention programs must reach adolescents before they are exposed to […]

SAM Applauds Senate Committee for Voting Down HB 1200, Cites Major Public Health Risks  (HARRISBURG, PA) – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee rightly rejected HB 1200, a radical proposal that would have made Pennsylvania the first state in the country to establish a government-run recreational marijuana program, in violation of federal law. The […]

More young people are experimenting with marijuana and THC drugs, like cigarettes at a time not so long ago. It is true that youth were using marijuana way back when too, but today’s marijuana isn’t your grandpa’s 1-3% THC Woodstock Weed. It boasts on average 18-23% THC in flower and can be 99% THC potent in concentrates, dabs, […]

A systematic review found that prenatal marijuana use is associated with significantly increased odds of adverse neonatal outcomes, even after adjusting for factors such as tobacco use. Findings showed increased risks for low birth weight, preterm birth, and small for gestational age infants. Use of marijuana during pregnancy was linked to a 52% higher risk of preterm […]

Pot-Pushing Politicians Are Trading Young People’s Futures For More Government Spending (HARRISBURG, PA) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, released the following statement today in response to the Pennsylvania General Assembly voting to pass HB1200, which would flood the state with […]

Any cannabis legislation will face tough odds, but the bills introduced cater specifically to the GOP majorities. Five months into the current Congress, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have introduced a wide range of cannabis-related bills. But none of them are going to move soon, and it may take a few tricks on […]

A study from researchers at the Creighton University School of Medicine found that lung cancer patients who smoked marijuana and tobacco were diagnosed with the condition 2.8 years earlier than those who smoked tobacco but not marijuana. A preprint of the results explained that “these findings signal a potential synergistic carcinogenic effect of tobacco and […]

Increased ER Visits the Latest Consequence of New York’s Embrace of Commercial Marijuana (NEW YORK, NY) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement today in response to new reporting by LoHud that found cannabis-related ER visits in New York spiked 131% from 2019 to […]

The Trump administration’s mantra is to cut waste and cut costs. So, it might seem unthinkable that the federal government would give an addictive industry a tax cut. But that’s exactly what many are proposing. Last year, companies that make highly addictive and dangerous drug products spent more than $4.5 million convincing lawmakers that today’s high-potency marijuana […]

Letter Rightly Threatens Enforcement of Federal Controlled Substances Act, Penalties for Illicit Drug Sales in a School Zones to Both Pot Profiteers and Property Owners Where Businesses Are Operating (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, issued the following statement today applauding the U.S. Attorney […]

A recent study in JAMA Neurology found that individuals who required hospital-based care due to marijuana were at an increased risk of being diagnosed with dementia. Compared to the general population, this population of marijuana users was 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia within 5 years. The study, led by researchers in […]

SB478 Risks Public Health and Safety By Legalizing, Normalizing Dangerous THC Drugs (INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, is imploring Governor Mike Braun and members of the Indiana General Assembly to reject efforts create a legal marketplace for hemp-derived THC drug products and […]

On the Third Anniversary of Commercial Drug Sales, It’s Time Lawmakers Embraced the Science and Admit the Damage Being Done (TRENTON, NJ) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement in advance of the third anniversary of commercial marijuana sales in New […]

President Donald Trump made history by nominating award-winning investigative reporter Sara Carter to be the first female director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. If confirmed, she will become the administration’s chief spokesperson on drug policy and have statutory control over the whole of the federal government’s drug policy budget, spread across multiple agencies. Carter brings with her a […]

A recent study published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, based on data from the International Cannabis Policy Study, found that Canadians support regulations that would better protect individuals from the marijuana industry and its products. It also determined that marijuana users, as a subgroup of the national population, were less likely to support these […]

(FoxNews.com) President Donald Trump’s newly issued statement on drug policy priorities shows his administration has embraced the Make America Healthy Again movement as it tackles American’s top public health crisis: addiction. The next step must be to re-empower the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), elevating America’s anti-drug movement to the prominence it […]

A recent study in JAMA Health Forum found that British Columbia’s experiment with “safer supply” was associated with a statistically significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations. It also found that the province’s decriminalization of the possession of illicit drugs was associated with a statistically significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations. The study, led by Dr. […]

Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Anxious Generation, was recently on Ezra Klein’s podcast The Ezra Klein Show. The Anxious Generation studies the epidemic of teenage mental illness as technology like smartphones and social media become increasingly pervasive in their lives. Excessive usage of these technologies disconnects a teenager from the non-digital world: the real world. That deprivation plus […]