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The camel stuck its nose into Pennsylvania’s tent in 2016 when the Medical Marijuana Act was signed into law. It didn’t take long for the beast to try to crawl all the way in. Senate Bill 846 now seeks to “legalize” so-called recreational marijuana. It will make a bad situation even worse. It’s straight out of the addiction-for-profit industry’s […]

With Pennsylvania reigniting the debate over marijuana legalization, I recently met with leaders of the General Assembly to emphasize the risks of this irresponsible policy. States that experimented with legalization have experienced increases in marijuana-involved traffic fatalities, emergency department visits, and addiction. It’s also led to more social costs and harmed public safety. Read the […]

Potency Caps, Advertising Restrictions, Warning Labels, Detailed Reporting Needed to Ensure Addiction Industry Doesn’t Victimize Ohioans (WASHINGTON, DC) – In the wake of the passage of Issue 2 legalizing marijuana and THC drugs, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the nation’s leading marijuana policy organization, has released a roadmap for Ohio’s legislators to protect public health and safety.  […]

Read about it HERE.

Marijuana proponents in Ohio are flying high as State Issue 2 earned enough votes to make recreational cannabis legal in the Buckeye State.  With 89.51% of precincts reporting statewide as of 11:15 p.m., the measure received 56.39% of favorable votes, according to unofficial results reported by the Ohio Secretary of State. Read the entire article […]

“This fight is not over,” Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action President Kevin Sabet said in a statement. He called on state lawmakers to eliminate provisions of Issue 2 that allow for commercial sales, advertising and production, at a minimum. Read the entire article HERE.

With Passage of Issue 2, Ohio Legislature Should Eliminate Commercial Sales and Take Steps to Prevent Against Growth of Addiction, Enact Prevention Measures, Create Health and Safety Guidelines for Commercial Sales (COLUMBUS, OH) – With numbers still being counted, it appears Issue 2 will pass. Of note, even though the anti-Issue 2 campaign was outraised […]

Drinks infused with the psychoactive substance THC are now being sold by US retailer Total Wine & More in Minnesota, as a nationwide roll-out could also be planned. Drinks brands being sold by the retailer have some products on their website that include 50mg of THC. One of the brands, Cantrip, contain 25mg and 50mg […]

The question as to whether the Commonwealth should legalize recreational marijuana is once again sparking a debate at the State Capitol. Many opponents are also pushing back against the argument that since Pennsylvanians are crossing state lines to buy marijuana anyway, it makes sense to legalize it in the Commonwealth and collect the tax revenue. […]

Luke Niforatos, executive vice president for Smart Approaches to Marijuana:  Americans are watching legal weed’s promise go up in smoke Watch the entire interview HERE.

Recreational marijuana is currently legal or decriminalized in 23 states plus D.C., but remains illegal on the federal level. Federal laws against marijuana are generally not enforced against users, but regulations against drug trafficking and money laundering mean marijuana operations cannot use banks or claim tax deductions in the same way regular businesses do.  The […]

An interim study committee heard roughly six hours of testimony on Wednesday “We’re not talking about flower and marijuana joints anymore of the 70s. These new products we’re talking about — cannabis-infused with pink lemonade gummies, candies, cookies, ice cream sodas — these are legally being sold in the state-regulated markets,” said Luke Niforatos, executive vice […]