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National Public Health Organization Launches Ad Campaign Against Amendment 3 And Highlighting Bipartisan Opposition to Pot Legalization
(WASHINGTON, DC) – The nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to health-focused public policy and advocacy against the commercialization of marijuana, Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action), has launched a digital ad campaign in the closing weeks of the 2024 election cycle as it urges Floridians to vote NO on Amendment 3. With the measure being […]
Sabet: Amendment 3 is about much more than pot
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 […]
Niforatos: Perspective: Marijuana Industry regularly skirts regulations to maximize profits
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 […]
SAM Friday Fact 10/11/2024: Marijuana Use Tied to Worse Educational Outcomes for Adolescents and Young Adults
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 […]
SAM Friday Fact 10/04/2024: North Dakota Sees 336% Increase in Marijuana-Related Emergency Department Visits After Legalizing Medical Marijuana
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 […]
Arkansas Supreme Court order orders signature count, expedited hearing for medical marijuana
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Supreme Court ordered disputed signatures be verified and an expedited hearing be held for the medical marijuana question that supporters hope to place on the November ballot. Several groups have filed with the court since Monday when Secretary of State John Thurston advised the medical marijuana ballot law change […]
Two state Supreme Court justices recuse in marijuana amendment case (UPDATED)
UPDATE: Late this afternoon, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered Secretary of State John Thurston to keep counting signatures collected in support of a constitutional amendment that would expand the state medical marijuana program. Thurston must file a report by Friday, the court said. Here’s the order. On Monday, Thurston said the marijuana group’s petition fell 2,664 signatures short of […]
Local groups push back against marijuana ballot measures
Opponents of legalization say public perception hasn’t caught up with mounting health concerns Before the 1990s, a typical marijuana joint contained less than 2 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the psychoactive component that gives cannabis users a high. Today, individuals smoke or vape plants with a 17 percent to 28 percent THC potency, and many edibles, oils, […]
PROTECT ARKANSAS KIDS, SMART APPROACHES TO MARIJUANA ACTION FILE LEGAL MOTIONS TO INTERVENE IN PENDING STATE SUPREME COURT CASE
Motion Follows Ruling by the Arkansas Secretary of State that Found Legalization Proponents Did Not Follow Election Rules (LITTLE ROCK, AR) – This week Protect Arkansas Kids, in conjunction with national public health policy organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action), filed legal motions to intervene in the pending Arkansas Supreme Court case over whether the […]
Florida prepares to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana usage
When the Florida Supreme Court in April approved a measure for the November statewide ballot that would legalize recreational marijuana use, the stage was set for a monumental battle between those who think legalization is long overdue and those who oppose it on constitutional, health, safety or other grounds. If Amendment 3 on the Florida […]
CBO REPORT CONFIRMS SAFER BANKING ACT WOULD INCREASE FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT
Taxpayers Lose on Both Health and Fiscal Responsibility (WASHINGTON, DC) – Pro-drug legislation that would put the addiction industry on steroids took a blow with the latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, which finds that the so-called “SAFER Banking” Act would increase the federal deficit by $65 million between 2024-2034 if it were enacted this year. According […]
CALIFORNIA’S POT CAFES A SETBACK FOR DECADES OF PROGRESS ON CLEAN INDOOR AIR
Comparisons to Amsterdam-Style Cafés Fail to Reflect Critical Safety Regulations (SACRAMENTO, CA) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former Obama White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement today in response to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Assembly Bill 1775, which will allow commercial marijuana shops to prepare and serve […]