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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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Robert Gebelhoff’s Sept. 18 op-ed misses a critical point: Aligning federal and state laws is not about opening new markets but ensuring existing ones are safer. The bipartisan States 2.0 Act offers a pragmatic solution by allowing states to regulate cannabis as they see fit, while keeping it out of states that oppose legalization. It’s easy to argue that […]

The rise of state-sanctioned cannabis markets amid the absence of federal regulation has prioritized politics intended to launch marijuana sales over those focused on public health….. Read more HERE.

Report Calls on Federal Government, States, Tribal Nations to Advance Policies that Reduce Access to Dangerous, Psychoactive Drugs (WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet issued the following statement today in response to the National Academies release of its “Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity” Consensus Study Report: “Despite a […]