SAM in the Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 13, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscollbob@learnaboutsam.org716-307-7406 Lawmakers Reject NDAA Amendments Allowing Use of THC Drugs by Military Recruits, Other Dangerous Proposals (WASHINGTON, DC) – 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 […]

“Marijuana isn’t medicine. It’s not approved to treat any illness. So-called medical marijuana is the industry’s way of getting a foothold in a state that they can then use to create an open THC drug market,” said Luke Niforatos, executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, in a statement.  Read the entire article, here.

DeSantis won’t decriminalize cannabis if elected POTUS; would any other candidate? Florida Phoenix “The science hasn’t change since the last time they reviewed this for Schedule I — the science has gotten worse; about psychosis, schizophrenia, the potency — if they’re going to stick to the science, I don’t see the scheduling changing,” he said […]

“Marijuana isn’t medicine. It’s not approved to treat any illness. So-called medical marijuana is the industry’s way of getting a foothold in a state that they can then use to create an open THC drug market,” said Luke Niforatos, executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Read the entire article, here.

“You literally have Altria, the largest tobacco company in the country that is one of the largest investors in the marijuana industry. They’re the ones that are leading the charge to legalize marijuana in many states like Virginia and also at the federal level. I think the more we realize that this is a ploy […]

“Big Marijuana profited off of increased addiction and use throughout COVID-19 lockdowns and the isolation that so many Coloradans felt during those years,” Niforatos told The Denver Gazette in a prior interview. “What we are seeing now is likely a return to the pre-pandemic average use. This decrease should be celebrated, but we need to […]

Listen to the clip below.

Watch the entire news segment here.

Just days after Minnesota lawmakers narrowly passed a bill to flood the state with the drug THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, addiction profiteers made their next move by advancing another bill to create a “Psychedelic Medicine Task Force,” with the clear goal of commercializing more drugs. It’s an increasingly familiar pattern of behavior in […]

Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni June 26 is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (ROME, ITALY) – Gripped by an unprecedented drug crisis that is devastating families and fueling profits for drug cartels, Smart Approaches to Marijuana and the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) today called on political leaders around the world to advance public policies focused on evidence-based prevention, treatment, […]

“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 […]

“Legalized drug crisis is harming young people far more than most realize” “The marijuana industry, which spent billions to lobby elected officials and bankroll legalization referendum campaigns, is following the playbook pioneered by Big Tobacco. They recognize that the road to big profits runs through the heaviest users. As such, they have increased potency of […]

“The worst part of marijuana is the denial,” Sabet said. Watch the full interview here.

Dr. Kevin Sabet speaks with Pat Miller about the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on the Addiction Banking Act and how S.1323 will help fuel the nation’s addiction crisis. Listen here.

Important Legislation Will Help Protect Public Health and Safety April 5, 2023 Official Release (LITTLE ROCK, AR) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President and CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former Clinton, Bush, and Obama drug policy advisor, released the following statement today in response to the passage of Senate Bill 358, which would ban […]

Key reasons for opposition include unregulated THC concentrations, impaired driving, youth-targeted marketing and marijuana-induced mental health concerns What: SAM to hold day long Summit at annual Rx Summit on marijuana policy issues Who: Patrick J. Kennedy; Kevin Sabet, Co-Founders of SAM; Head of Illinois NAACP Teresa Haley; Nora Volkow, Director of NIDA; Washington State Rep Lauren […]

Pot Poll: Majority of NJ Opposes Legalized Marijuana TRENTON – Put down the vape. The majority of New Jersey residents oppose legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a recent survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University. This marks the first time a recent poll in New Jersey has found less than 50 percent support for legalization.

Measuring Colorado’s “great experiment” with marijuana We’re far from CLEARING THE SMOKE over recreational marijuana use. A new federal policy announced this past week takes a tough line. It’s a challenge to states that have legalized use, including, most recently, the biggest state of all. Our Cover Story is reported by Barry Petersen: “I’ve never […]

Half of Americans support alternatives to full marijuana legalization: poll Half of Americans now support alternatives to full legalization of recreational marijuana use, according to a new poll following the Justice Department’s decision to change the federal law enforcement policy on the drug. (Josh Delk, The Hill) Half of Americans now support alternatives to full legalization of […]

(The Hill) Attorney General Jeff Sessions will roll back an Obama-era policy that gave states leeway to allow marijuana for recreational purposes. The Justice Department on Thursday afternoon released a memoannouncing that the so-called Cole memo — which ordered U.S. attorneys in states where marijuana has been legalized to deprioritize prosecution of marijuana-related cases — would be […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, creating new confusion about enforcement and use just three days after a new legalization law went into effect in California. President Donald Trump’s top law enforcement official announced the […]

As reported today in the Washington Post:   Wonkblog By Keith Humphreys December 12 at 6:30 AM The proportion of Americans who express support for marijuana legalization in opinion polls has risen sharply over the past decade from the low 30s to as high as 60 percent. But a new poll shows that what Americans who support “marijuana legalization” […]

WFYI Indianapolis Reports: The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council Wednesday delivered a firm warning to state lawmakers about marijuana legalization. Leaders of the council say they’ll fight any legislation to legalize marijuana in the state, whether it’s for recreational or medical use. They levied a slew of arguments against legalization – that it functions as a […]

The Indy Channel reports: INDIANAPOLIS — The Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorney’s are taking a stand against the proposed legalization of marijuana in the state. The group gathered with representatives from the Indiana Chamber and local law enforcement to share their message on Wednesday. Several bills regarding the legalization of marijuana are currently proposed to […]