News

NCAA’s Division I Council’s Removal of Marijuana from Drug Testing Regiment Compromises Player Safety and Student-Athletes’ Long-term Brain Development (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet released the following statement today in response to reports that the NCAA Division I Council has moved to remove cannabinoids from the banned drug class for championships and […]

As the Biden administration attempts to move full speed ahead in its efforts to loosen federal restrictions around marijuana, Americans should avail themselves of the opportunity to make their voices heard. Given the pot and tobacco industry’s long history of spreading misinformation and downplaying the harms associated with high-potency psychoactive THC drugs, we need to […]

In the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s recently published a report, “2024 Cannabis Health Statistics Report,” relying on data from the Connecticut Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, conducted in 2017, 2021, and 2022. The Department examined the percentage of past-month marijuana users across different age groups in Connecticut:  Percentage of Past-Month Marijuana Users Among Age […]

Past-Month Use Rises Among Adults, Minors, Outpacing National Average (HARTFORD, CT) – Marijuana use among adults and children has grown in the wake of Connecticut’s embrace of pot-profiteers and their dangerous, psychoactive drugs. According to a new report from the Connecticut Department of Health, past-year and past-month marijuana use among those 12 and older is higher than […]

The governor of the US state of Maryland has pardoned 175,000 people convicted of cannabis offences. Listen to the interview HERE.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet responds to comments from Kamala Harris on marijuana and addresses various concerns with the drug. Watch the video here:

One Illinois county may be ahead of the curve with warning signs that link marijuana use with potential suicide. Citing national studies and local statistics, McHenry County requires marijuana dispensaries to post warnings. The signs state that cannabis use may lead to mental health problems, including increased thoughts of suicide. Signs must be posted prominently and state […]

(Washington, DC) — Today, Governor Wes Moore (MD) issued a blanket pardon for individuals convicted of marijuana possession in Maryland. Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President and CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama issued the following statement in response: “Governor Moore’s actions are important for promoting […]

Pot-Friendly Politicians’ Attempt to Deceive Americans Fall Short Thanks to Courageous Legislators Today, the House Appropriations Committee rejected the biggest wish of Big Marijuana, Big Banks, and Wall Street by stripping marijuana banking provisions from the FY 2025 Fiscal Services and General Government (FSGG) bill. If included, allowing the marijuana industry to access banking services would have injected billions of dollars in new investment into the pot […]

Politicians Wasted Time With Their Push to Inject More Drugs into New Hampshire’s Communities  Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, issued the following statement today in response to the New Hampshire State House voting to table Senate-passed legislation, […]

Legislation Combatting Dangerous THC Drugs Will Help Protect Public Health and Safety Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President and CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, released the following statement today urging New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu to sign Senate Bill 505, which […]

The results of a survey of Canadians aged 16-65 who used marijuana in the last year were published in the study, “Adverse outcomes of cannabis use in Canada, before and after legalisation of non-medical cannabis: cross-sectional analysis of the International Cannabis Policy Study.” The survey aimed to find what percentage of these users experienced at […]

Biden administration’s recent move to reschedule marijuana could be a big gift The Biden administration’s recent move to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III has been drawing criticism from activists on both sides of the issue. For those focused on science and medical efficacy, it’s a move that fails to recognize the growing […]

Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) Lauded for Their Leadership on Critical Public Health and Safety Reforms (WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration advanced legislation that bans dangerous hemp-derived THC products. This language is identical to the Farm Bill […]

Banning Marijuana Testing Reduces Military Readiness, Risks Service Members Health and Safety (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, issued the following statement today in response to the Biden Administration’s Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) in opposition to the ban on […]

Nearly three weeks after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration proposed loosening a federal prohibition on marijuana, the next phases of policy fights over the drug’s status are starting to take shape. Public comments, which the government is accepting on the proposal until mid-July, will likely include an analysis of the economic impact of more lenient […]

The 2022 Arizona Youth Survey State Report provided the percentage of Arizona’s 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who reported that they acquired marijuana from marijuana stores in 2018, 2020, and 2022.  In November 2010, Arizona legalized medical marijuana and on November 30th, 2020, Arizona legalized and commercialized marijuana. Between 2020 and 2022, the percentage of […]

Defying political expectations, House and Senate negotiators signed off on a deal to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire, making the Granite State the last New England state to allow legal weed. “I’m going to vote against it, but I am going to sign it,” Senate President Jeb Bradley, the upper chamber’s lead negotiator, told […]

A recent study “Changes in self-reported cannabis use in the United States from 1979 to 2022,” published in Addiction by Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University focuses on changes in the consumption patterns of marijuana. He compared these trends for marijuana to consumption patterns for alcohol. Caulkins found that daily or near-daily use […]

CONCORD, NH) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, issued the following statement today in response to the New Hampshire State House voting to reject Senate-made changes, backed by Governor Chris Sununu, to legislation that would have legalized marijuana […]

This week, the federal government made the formal move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, and it seems people agree, after a new study found more Americans are using marijuana daily. So how would this change in marijuana drug laws impact Phoenix? The reclassification wouldn’t just cut taxes for Mint Cannabis. Molina says it would […]

Agriculture Chairman Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA), Reps. Mary Miller (R-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) Lauded for Their Leadership on Critical Public Health and Safety Reforms (WASHINGTON, DC) – 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 lauding the House […]

Join us on The Opioid Matrix podcast for an eye-opening discussion with Jaime Zerbe, Chief of Staff at SAM, as we dive into the complex landscape of marijuana rescheduling. Explore the shifts in potency, policy, and public health since the 60s. Don’t miss this enlightening episode! Click here to listen to the podcast with SAM’s […]

Though Marijuana Would Remain Illegal, Election-Year Decision To Reschedule Marijuana Would be a Boon for Pot Investors Pushing a Demonstrably Dangerous Drug (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, issued the following statement today in response to President Biden’s […]