SAM in the Press

President Kevin Sabet, a former Obama administration drug policy official, said the HHS recommendation “flies in the face of science, reeks of politics” and gives a regrettable nod to an industry “desperately looking for legitimacy.” Read about it here.

The recommendation is the result of a yearlong review initiated by the president. “The addiction profiteers who have been exposed for lying about marijuana’s physical, mental and economic impacts, are desperately looking for legitimacy in the wake of mounting evidence their products are harming millions of Americans,” said Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to […]

Federal officials could soon be easing restrictions on marijuana under new recommendations issued this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “This is not the time to be saying this drug is not a big deal,” Luke Niforatos said. “This is the time to be saying we need to be cautious with this […]

Luke Niforatos, executive vice president for Smart Approaches to Marijuana, earlier called more research into marijuana-based medications a “good thing.” But the group wants marijuana to stay right where it is, at Schedule 1. “From a scientific perspective, (it) makes no sense to change,” he said. “What we’ve learned from the science … it’s not […]

The potential move was not greeted warmly by cannabis opponents at Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who said the recommendation “reeks of politics.” The organization, which was active in the campaign to defeat an Arkansas recreational marijuana amendment at the ballot box in November, said the science has “become more damning against marijuana in recent years.” […]

Recommendation that Marijuana Remain Illegal Is Sound, But There is No Justification to Downgrade to Schedule  (WASHINGTON, DC) – Following media reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending to the Drug Enforcement Agency the rescheduling of marijuana as a Schedule III substance, Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and former White House […]

PHARMACIES SELLING ILLICIT DRUGS RISK HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR CONSUMERS New Regulations Would Turn Pharmacies into Pot Shops Without Community Input (WASHINGTON, DC) – Despite the longstanding position of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which maintain that marijuana is a Schedule I drug that does not have […]

The organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) said medical cannabis is already legal for patients who need it in Hawaii. The president of SAM said recreational cannabis is a totally different topic. “It’s about fundamentally changing your community,” said SAM president Kevin Sabet, “you know, do you want to see a pot shop and smell […]

(WASHINGTON, DC) — Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the nation’s leading drug policy organization focused on protecting Americans from the addiction industry, released the following statement in reaction to the release of a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Open Network of data from nearly 1,500 primary care patients in Washington State, where marijuana and […]

Big Banks, Big Marijuana Searching for New Ways to Skirt Federal Law, Protect Drug Dealers (WASHINGTON, DC) – Wells Fargo, the nation’s fourth largest bank, is looking to supersize its operation by becoming the official bank for drug money in Maryland. Big Banks partnering with Big Marijuana isn’t new, despite the claims of pro-addiction activists. […]

Luke Niforatos, executive vice president with the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, says lawmakers made the right decision in banning the chemicals. “There’s very little regulation, if any, going on with these products. We don’t know what’s in them… some of the research has shown [products] to have heavy metals, pesticides,” Niforatos said. “So it’s […]

Lawmakers Knew the Risks to Public Health and Safety, Now They Bear Responsibility FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2023 Media Contact: Bob Driscollbob@learnaboutsam.org716-307-7406 (ST. PAUL, MN) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former Obama drug policy advisor, released the following statement in advance of marijuana and THC-infused drugs […]

“Over the last decade, the drive to legalize marijuana has been the subject of a significant public relations campaign. Throughout the country, the push to erase any stigma associated with marijuana has essentially become part of contemporary pop culture. In a vast effort to influence perceptions, musicians, actors, media personalities, and professional athletes have endorsed […]

“In states bucking the federal law banning marijuana, legalization has ushered in an unprecedented level of normalization and commercialization. There are now more daily users of THC products than daily users of alcohol, and usage among young adults is at the highest level ever. In the last 10 years, the number of marijuana users increased by more than […]

“This is why we don’t ram through legislation in a Special Session before anybody can spot problems with the bill because then we have stuff like this come out,” says Luke Niforatos, Vice-President of the advocacy group S.A.M. (Smart Approaches to Marijuana). “Your viewers should be very concerned about the fact that (the state is) not looking […]

Q&A: Anti-marijuana group explains opposition to NC bill “Many have been asking why we led the campaign that has so far deterred passage of N.C. Senate Bill 3, the bill that sought to legalize “medical marijuana.” The answer is simple: marijuana is not approved by the FDA “for the treatment of any disease or condition.” […]

“Over the last decade, the drive to legalize marijuana has been the subject of a significant public relations campaign. Throughout the country, the push to erase any stigma associated with marijuana has essentially become part of contemporary pop culture. In a vast effort to influence perceptions, musicians, actors, media personalities, and professional athletes have endorsed […]

“Given the harm the marijuana industry exacts on public health and public safety, as well as the environment, there’s reason to welcome a reduction in influence,” said Luke Niforatos. “We can only hope the related consequences of use might also begin to subside. That’s an outcome people on both sides of the marijuana debate should […]

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 […]