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“Just because these substances can be grown in your backyard doesn’t mean they’re not intense psychotropic drugs,” said Luke Niforatos, the executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a vocal opponent of the referendum. “It’s very concerning that it’s being turned into a social club.” Read the entire story here.

Today’s Drugs Are Anything but ‘Recreation’ | Opinion “Legalization of all drugs means exactly what it sounds like: full-scale commercial production of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana (THC), heroin, and more. It also means the widespread normalization of drug use and decreased perceptions of risk for users. For instance, most Americans likely don’t realize that today’s […]

HB 6699 Requires Updated Health Warning Labels for Marijuana, Especially High-Potency THC-Laced Products FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 6, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org 716-307-7406 (HARTFORD, CT) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) and a former drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, released the following statement following the […]

“There’s so many misconceptions about the harmfulness of marijuana today. People have a view that’s really outdated. It’s from the 60s and 70s when basically a “harmless plant” that would put you to sleep. Today’s marijuana has been genetically bred to be up to 99.9% THC which is much stronger than it ever was.” Watch […]

“The consequences are sure to be devastating, just as they have been in other states that have tried this risky experiment,” added Sabet, who was previously a drug policy adviser to the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations. “Today’s commercial marijuana products are associated with depression, suicidality, IQ loss and most recently psychosis and schizophrenia, especially […]

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Minnesota is now among the states where marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older — in a few months, at least. Flanked by a colorful predecessor, Gov. Tim Walz signed an expansive cannabis legalization bill into law Tuesday, dramatically changing state drug policy. It begins a gradual implementation that at first decriminalizes cannabis and […]

Texas Senate Recognizes the Dangers Marijuana Poses to Public Health and Safety FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 30, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org 716-307-7406 (AUSTIN, TX) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations, released the following statement today in response to the Texas […]

Legislation Opening Minnesota to Big Marijuana Will Be A Disaster for Public Health, Safety FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 30, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscollbob@learnaboutsam.org 716-307-7406 WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations, released the following statement in response to Governor Tim Walz […]

“This is not your Woodstock weed; we’re seeing products up to 99.9 percent pure THC,” said Kevin Sabet, Ph.D., president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “And if you smoked marijuana 20, 30 years ago, you wouldn’t even recognize these products.”   Read the entire article, here.

Dr. Kevin Sabet discussed the dangers of increased levels of THC and how it has made marijuana much more “potent,” raising potential health concerns. “Keeping the promotion, sale and advertisement of marijuana illegal, while decriminalizing its use on an individual level, removes the incentive of the industry from driving up use,” Sabet said.  Read the […]

Smoking marijuana while operating a vehicle appears to have become ubiquitous in New York City after the drug’s legalization. But it’s a trend, though illegal, that’s not easy to curb. Read the article, here.

Federal lawmakers are mulling how — and when — to address the potency issue, which has alarmed state regulators. Anti-pot activists such as Kevin Sabet, head of the Smart Approaches to Marijuana, are stirring up the debate. His group opposes the SAFE Banking Act, a key industry-backed legislation that would give companies greater access to the financial system. Sabet is […]

Dr. Kevin Sabet, Director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, speaks about enforcing the law to end driving under the influence with Brigitte Quinn on Newsline. Listen here.

New Quest Diagnostics Study Highlights 25 Year High in Workers Testing Positive for Drugs, Rising Concerns about Marijuana Normalization FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to President Obama, released the following statement today […]

“Of all the ways to win a culture war, the smoothest is to just make the other side seem hopelessly uncool. So it’s been with the march of marijuana legalization: There have been moral arguments about the excesses of the drug war and medical arguments about the potential benefits of pot, but the vibe of […]

Senators in both parties championed a bill Thursday that would give the cannabis industry access to banking without fear of penalties or high fees, saying financial rules must adjust with marijuana laws so that businesses are treated equally and workers are no longer paid in cash. Yet Kevin A. Sabet, CEO of Smart Approaches to […]

“Today’s marijuana is more dangerous than ever and this bill would open the marijuana industry to Wall Street hedge fund managers and Silicon Valley investors who would create even more hazardous products to get them in the hands of even more Americans,” Sabet said. Read the full article in Yahoo News, here.

Dr. Kevin Sabet continues national campaign to oppose legalized marijuana, including here in Colorado. Listen here.

Commercial Pot Legalization Defeated for the Second Consecutive Year in the Granite State FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 11, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscollbob@learnaboutsam.org (CONCORD, NH) – The New Hampshire State Senate today firmly rejected Big Marijuana, Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol’s push to create another addiction-for-profit industry in the state. Following the defeat of H.B. 639, […]

So-called SAFE Banking Act a Gift for Big Banks, Big Tobacco, Cartels at the Expense of Public Health and Safety FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 11, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org (WASHINGTON DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to President Obama, released the following statement today in advance of […]

Addiction Banking Act (S. 1323) Being Considered by the Senate Banking Committee Would Create Money-Laundering Bonanza for Illegal Drug Operations FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 11, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org 716-307-7406 (WASHINGTON, DC) – Five former directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), representing both Democrat and Republican administrations, today issued a stern warning urging Senators […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 10, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscoll bob@learnaboutsam.org 716-307-7406 Bill Being Considered by Senate Banking Committee a Bailout for Banks at the Expense of Public Health (WASHINGTON, DC) – A growing coalition of parents, public safety officials, and drug addiction and treatment experts are urging Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tim Scott (R-SC) to […]

A decade’s worth of data are in, and the promises of marijuana legalization are increasingly proving empty. From more marijuana-related hospitalizations to higher usage rates and an expansion of the illicit market, the effects of legalization have been detrimental to public health and safety, communities of color, and even the environment. Politicians who bought Big […]