SAM’s News

More than half of Florida voters approved of Amendment 3, but it did not reach the required 60 percent threshold to pass. “Floridians have taken a firm stance against the dangerous drugs the pot profiteers tried to convince the public are harmless,” Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which opposes marijuana legalization. Read […]

Four ballot measures fail to legalize marijuana, psychedelics  (WASHINGTON, DC) –  Voters across the United States, in both Republican and Democratic states, rejected soundly the legalization of marijuana and psychedelics despite pro-drug campaigns outspending opponents by more than 20 to 1.   Florida voters rejected the corporate-drafted Amendment 3 which would’ve legalized recreational marijuana in the […]

(WASHINGTON, DC) – According to multiple media outlets, former president Donald J. Trump is expected to have secured the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to become the 47th President of the United States. Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) and Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President and CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, […]

Massachusetts could become the third state to legalize psychedelic mushrooms, after Oregon and Colorado, if voters approve a ballot measure known as Question 4. Supporters, who have raised more than $7 million to support the initiative, have said it would give psychiatric patients more treatment options, in regulated settings with trained facilitators. Read the entire […]

Residents Saw Through Pot Profiteers’ Bid to Inject More Drugs into Communities (PIERRE, SD) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), released the following statement today commending South Dakotans for wisely rejecting Measure 29, which would have legalized so-called ‘recreational’ marijuana in the state:  “South Dakotans have wisely said ‘no’ to Big Marijuana because they know that despite […]

Voters Reject Amendment 3 in Massive Blow to Marijuana Industry (TALLAHASSEE, FL) – 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 after Florida voters wisely rejected Amendment 3, which would have flooded the state with today’s high-potency marijuana and […]

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is the nation’s premier survey that assesses the prevalence of substance use and substance use disorder. Though the NSDUH’s national estimates are often cited, it also provides state-level estimates that can shed light on the impact of the legalization of recreational marijuana. The prevalence of past-month marijuana use […]

Florida Recreational Marijuana Amendment Questions No on 3 – Jaime Zerbe – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Listen to the entire segment HERE.

With Florida’s recreational pot proposal, Amendment 3, polling at over 60%, we explore the pro and cons of legalizing marijuana with people representing all sides of the debate. Guests: Listen to the conversation HERE.

(WASHINGTON, DC) – A major new study published in the November 2024 issue of the highly regarded Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that recreational marijuana legalization increases past-month youth use by 13%. Crucially, past-month use is indicative of regular use. The comprehensive study, which conducted a meta-analysis that identified 4,604 citations, confirms that […]

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, from 2018 to 2023, the number of marijuana hospital-treated poisonings for children aged 4 and under increased by 733%:  On July 1, 2022, low-dose hemp edibles were legalized in Minnesota. On August 1, 2023, Minnesota then legalized marijuana. From 2022 to 2023, hospital visits among children aged 4 […]

If it seems as if there has been an effort in Nebraska to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes at one election after another, it’s because supporters of the efforts have been persistent. The Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana organization has been pushing to get the issue on the ballot for years. In 2020, for example, […]

Read the article HERE.

Voters will not have the chance after all to vote on an amendment that would have expanded the state medical marijuana program, thanks to an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling Monday that disqualified the measure. Read the entire article HERE.

(LITTLE ROCK, AR) – In a tremendous victory for public health and safety, the Arkansas State Supreme Court today ruled in favor of Protect Arkansas Kids’ legal challenge to the state’s marijuana legalization ballot initiative.  In a 4-3 ruling, the Court declared the ballot title for the proposed constitutional amendment with the popular name “Medical […]

(WASHINGTON, DC) – The largest drug prevention group in the country, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), honored drug policy expert Dr. Kevin Sabet and the national public health policy organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) with the Raiko Mendoza Pagliarello Champion for Drug Free Kids during its 26th annual “Drug-Free Kids Campaign Awards Dinner.” SAM, which was co-founded […]

Florida’s Catholic bishops are urging residents to vote no on a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in the Sunshine State as activists on both sides continue to funnel millions of dollars into the record-breaking campaign. Amendment 3, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and older, is the most expensive […]

(BOSTON, MA) – With Bay State residents facing an onslaught of pro-drug advertising, SAM Action, in conjunction with its sister organization, the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, is giving a major boost to the Coalition for Safe Communities as it fights against the legalization of psychedelics, the opening of for-profit psychedelic centers, and the introduction of growth and […]

On October 10, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a patient education page titled, “Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome.” Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is characterized by repeated nausea, vomiting, and severe stomach pain after using high doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) over an extended period of time––THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes […]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action launched a new ad campaign urging Floridians to vote “NO” on Amendment 3, a Florida ballot initiative seeking to constitutionally protect the recreational use of marijuana. Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action is a nonprofit “dedicated to a health-first approach to marijuana policy.” In a press release, the group […]

The following op-ed appeared in Saturday’s Miami Herald In our polarized climate, it’s hard to identify any issue on which Americans agree. Yet, there’s one notable exception: corporate monopolies. A recent poll of 1,700 Americans found that 81 percent of likely voters and majorities of both parties agree with the statement, “I am concerned that […]

This year, Gov. Jared Polis proclaimed, “Colorado has always been a national leader in cannabis …” However, a look beyond the marketing schemes and flowery language shows a far more dangerous truth. The marijuana being sold in Colorado’s dispensaries comes with inherent risks, which have persisted because of a lack of urgency from regulators. That’s […]

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 7 entitled, “Cannabis Use During Adolescence and Young Adulthood and Academic Achievement,” found that marijuana use is associated with:  The study was a meta-analysis of 63 studies that included more than 400,000 individuals. It concluded, “moderate-certainty evidence showed cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood is probably […]

A July 2024 report from the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) reported: “Following the medical marijuana legalization in 2016, North Dakota’s hospitals observed an increase in both emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to marijuana related events.” After legalizing medical marijuana, North Dakota saw a 336% increase in marijuana-related emergency department visits, rising […]