SAM in the Press

Resolution Introduced in the Senate by Senator Pete Ricketts and in the House by Rep. Pete Sessions  Highlights Risks Associated with the Commercial Marijuana Industry’s Addictive High-Potency Pot Products (WASHINGTON, DC) – In a first-of-its-kind move, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) have filed a Concurrent Congressional Resolution outlining the dangers […]

Kevin Sabet, an anti-pot campaigner and former White House drug tsar, not only blames the marijuana she smoked, but also the $30 billion-a-year business behind it. ‘Big Weed’ is pushing ever more potent versions of pot’s active ingredient, THC, on a generation of unsuspecting Americans, he warns. ‘The marijuana industry’s lies and misinformation are directly to blame […]

“The debate over Measure 110, passed in 2020, was framed as “treatment over incarceration” for drug offenders. It seems all of us have now learned how wrong this framing was. What appeared to be a constructive debate about finding a better response to drug use was in fact a ballot measure that made drug use a […]

“What we’re seeing in legal states is that the black market for marijuana continues to beat the legal market,” said drug policy expert and Vice President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, Luke Niforatos. It’s legal to grow weed in the state of Maine – you can actually grow about 3 mature plants but border patrol […]

Legislators Urged to Further Reform the State’s Program to Protect Public Health and Safety (HARTFORD, CT) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, released the following statement in advance of the one-year anniversary of commercial marijuana sales in Connecticut:  “Trends across the nation […]

The past two years have industry insiders wondering how to get business booming again, while those against the industry want more regulations.  “We saw the marijuana sales and consumption skyrocket during COVID-19, why was that, well we saw addiction levels to all substances skyrocket during COVID-19 because of isolation, because of mental health challenges and […]

Voters legalized marijuana use in 2012. Today, the industry has more than 2,500 active cannabis business licenses, including 912 retail establishment licenses. In addition, some 36,000 active occupational licenses have been issued to workers in the industry. Luke Niforatos of Smart Approaches to Marijuana characterized the drug’s legalization as a disaster for the state.  “We […]

Efforts to prevent drug use and encourage kids to live free from drugs have come under increased attack. Rather than building on science and common sense, some have begun advocating for an unproven approach to prevention that aims to not prevent drug use at all—instead it educates children on how to use drugs. Policymakers should […]

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Protect Our Kids CEO Luke Niforatos discusses growing concerns among parents and medical workers over children’s exposure to hemp-driven products. Watch HERE

Federal drug officials are warning Georgia to shelve its plans to be the first state to allow pharmacies to dispense medical marijuana products. News outlets report that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Nov. 27 warned pharmacies that dispensing medical marijuana violates federal law. Michael Mumper, the executive director of the nonprofit Georgians for Responsible Marijuana […]

Federal guidance conflicts with state authorization – AT THIS LINK By Rosie Manins and Helena Oliviero In a major blow to expanding access to medical cannabis in Georgia, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has warned pharmacies across the state that dispensing medical marijuana violates federal law. The warning comes just after the state became the first in the nation to […]

8th and 12th Graders In “Legal” States More Likely To Use Psychoactive Drugs (WASHINGTON, DC) – In another buzz kill for the pot industry, the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey conducted by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institutes of Health, shows marijuana use among minors is worsening in states with commercial markets […]

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While marijuana has been legal in Colorado for more than a decade, the drug is still illegal at the federal level. That is not likely to change anytime soon, but the federal government is considering reclassifying the drug, which could have big implications in several areas, including cannabis-related businesses in Colorado. “Right now, they’re looking like […]

The DEA is putting Georgia pharmacies on notice that federal laws prohibiting possession and sale of THC may prohibit them from selling medical marijuana. “You could have a product that claims to be low but is really above .3 percent when tested by authorities,” Sabet said. “And then that’s going to put the pharmacy at […]

20-Year Australian Study Found Marijuana May Not Be an Effective Long-Term Method of Reducing Harm for Those with an Opioid Use Disorder (WASHINGTON, DC) – A 20-year study out of Australia, recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, has found “no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use, and it may not be an effective long-term […]

As more states move to legalize pot, concerns about the drug’s long-term effects multiply “Luke Niforatos is the executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an alliance of organizations and individuals opposed to marijuana legalization and commercialization. He argued marijuana makes people more vulnerable to opioid addiction. In a pamphlet, his organization cites a […]

Legal challenges are pending across the country against a federal law that prevents medical marijuana users from buying or owning firearms. Read the entire article HERE.

(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, released the following statement today in response to the New Hampshire cannabis commission’s vote to conclude its work without putting forward recommendations for THC drug legalization: “This commission […]

The DEA is expected to follow HHS’ recommendation and move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy adviser and president and CEO of Smart Approach to Marijuana, a political organization opposed to the legalization and commercialization of marijuana, told City & State that he was “shocked” by HHS’ move.  […]

“After a multi-million-dollar effort and numerous failures, advocates of marijuana legalization finally succeeded in Ohio this month. Voters approved a referendum to legalize the non-medical use of the drug 57-43 percent. Though the harms caused by the legalization of marijuana cannot be undone, policymakers in states with any form of legal marijuana must take additional […]

Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a bipartisan organization made up of health experts, lawmakers and others that oppose marijuana legalization and commercialization, said the “hoax” was disappointing. “I received dozens of comments and thoughts from young people either in recovery [from cannabis use disorder], or contemplating recovery, who were inspired by his words.” […]

In less than 24 months, New Mexico’s state-legal marijuana marketplace has ballooned to more than 1,000 licensed pot shops. At the signing ceremony for the Cannabis Regulation Act of 2021, the bill that commercialized marijuana statewide, state officials claimed, “This is the right model for New Mexico because it creates a local, sustainable and regulated […]