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ON THIRD ANNIVERSARY, NEW MEXICO’S COMMERCIAL POT SALES CONTINUE TO DAMAGE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

Lawmakers Starting to Understand the Damage Being Done, But More Reforms are Needed (SANTA FE, NM) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement upon the third anniversary of commercial marijuana sales in New Mexico:  “New Mexico’s commercial pot marketplace has been […]

SABET: NOMINEE CARTER KNOWS WELL THE DESTRUCTION OF DRUGS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETY

Statement from Dr. Kevin Sabet on President Donald Trump’s Nomination of Sara Carter as ONDCP Director (WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the Trump Administration announced that Sara Carter will be nominated to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Dr. Kevin Sabet, co-founder and president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and […]

SAM Friday Fact 3/28/2025: New Marijuana Derivatives are Coming to a Town Near You

A recent study in Drug Testing and Analysis highlighted the emergence of semi-synthetic cannabinoids (SSC). While Delta-9 THC is known as the “high”-inducing cannabinoid, hundreds of others are also present in the cannabis plant, including CBD. Now, synthetic cannabinoids are being developed, which presents additional health-related risks to marijuana users. The study, which analyzed 79 […]

Retail marijuana sales legalization once again vetoed in Virginia

(WSET) — Governor Glenn Youngkin has once again vetoed a bill that would allow for a retail marijuana sales market. It was no surprise, as he has said repeatedly, that he will not sign the bill into law. Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President at Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said the Governor’s veto is a major win […]

GLENN YOUNGKIN GETS IT: PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG SALES WILL FUEL ADDICTION, MAKE VIRGINIANS LESS SAFE

Governor’s Veto Puts Public Health Over Corporate Greed (RICHMOND, VA) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement today in response to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto of legislation that would have allowed commercial sales of high-potency THC drugs and marijuana in Virginia:  […]

“POT FOR POTHOLES” IS NOTHING MORE THAN SAME OLD PROPAGANDA

New Bill Peddles Big Pot’s Fantasy about Big Revenue, Ignores Massive Costs (NASHVILLE, TN) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement in response to HB0703, the “Tennessee Pot for Potholes Act,” which would legalize commercial sales of high potency marijuana to use the […]

SAM Friday Fact 3/21/2025: Marijuana Users Under the Age of 50 Were Six Times More Likely than Non-Users to Experience a Heart Attack

A recent study published in JACC Advances, which is affiliated with the American College of Cardiology, found that marijuana users under the age of 50 were six times more likely than non-users to experience a heart attack (myocardial infarction). The study, which analyzed data from more than 4.6 million individuals, also found that the risks […]

Newsweek: America’s Marijuana Legalization Experiment Is Going Up in Smoke

When marijuana legalization first started gaining momentum in the United States, it was heralded as a progressive step toward criminal justice reform, economic growth and public health benefits all at once. Advocates promised that legal cannabis would eliminate the illicit market, generate tax revenue and ensure a safe, well-regulated industry. That is not how things have turned […]

SAM Friday Fact 3/14/2025: 75% of Drug Tests for Arrestees Were Positive for At Least One Drug

A recent study in Addiction Science & Clinical Practice analyzed 43,553 urine drug screens that were given in 25 jails in the United States in 2023, finding that 75% tested positive for at least one drug. Among the tests that were positive, 69% were positive for marijuana, 55% for stimulants, 30% for opioids, and 12% […]

DANGERS OF DRUGS-FOR-PROFIT, FAILURES OF LEGALIZATION HIGHLIGHTED IN ADVANCE OF THE UN COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS

Pot Profiteers Seek Future Generations Hooked on Addiction to Fuel Corporate Profits (VIENNA, AUSTRIA) – As nations around the world continue to deal with the repercussions of the addiction industry’s efforts to inject more dangerous, psychoactive drugs into populations, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) President Dr. Kevin Sabet heads to the 68th Session […]

Dr. Kevin Sabet in City Journal: New York’s Pot Boom Is Nothing to Celebrate

Albany’s celebration of $1 billion in commercial marijuana sales earlier this year must have been music to Big Pot’s ears. “Let us celebrate the individuals, businesses, and communities in cannabis who drive our state’s economic engine,” exulted Felicia A. B. Reid, acting executive director of the state Office of Cannabis Management. No one would expect state health commissioner James […]

SAM Friday Fact 2/28/2025: Study Finds that Many Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana Lack Supporting Evidence

A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes found that many state-level qualifying conditions for medical marijuana lack supporting evidence, as contrasted by the conclusions of a 2017 report about marijuana from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).  The report from the NASEM assessed the potential therapeutic effects of marijuana […]