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National Marijuana Policy Organization Slams the Reintroduction of Bill to Federally Legalize Marijuana
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, a bill to federally legalize, commercialize, and tax the use of marijuana, was re-introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Jerry Nadler. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration, released the following […]
New Quest Diagnostics Data Show Workplace Marijuana Positivity Rates Continue to Increase in “Legal” States
A new release of data from national drug testing organization Quest Diagnostics shows that drug positivity rates in states with “legal” marijuana far outpaces such rates in states that have not legalized marijuana. According to the data, marijuana positivity in states that have legalized has increased 118% since 2012, whereas such positivity in states with […]
Montana Governor Signs Some of the Tightest Marijuana Regulations in the Country Into Law
SAM’s “Turn a Lemon into Lemonade” approach prevails; New law bans advertising, limits pot shops, and caps THC levels. (Helena, MT) Today, in a major state victory for Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed HB 701, a bill outlining the regulations for marijuana commercialization, into law. SAFE Montana & SAM were […]
Groundbreaking New Bill Seeks to Massively Reign In Colorado’s Marijuana Industry
Today, the first-ever regulatory overhaul of Colorado’s federally illegal marijuana industry was introduced as a bill in the Colorado State Assembly. The bill seeks to implement much-needed public health guardrails and promote public health, reigning in a marijuana industry that has been allowed to run free. The bill, being led by House Speaker Alec Garnett […]
SAM Launches Ad Campaign: “We’ve Been Lied to Before…”
Urges Senators to Heed the Guidance of Public Health & Safety Experts on the Potential Harms Associated with Federal Marijuana Legalization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) recently announced the launch of advertisements targeted toward United States Senators who have recently expressed their reluctance to support an effort being led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer […]
New Study: Youth Marijuana Addiction Rate Double Rate of Alcohol & Other Substance Use Disorders
An explosive study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics and conducted by prominent researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found that teenage marijuana users (aged 12-17) have double the prevalence of a use disorder (addiction) than nicotine, alcohol, and, in most categories of […]
New Mexico Lawmakers Legalize Marijuana
A bill legalizing marijuana and establishing a commercial market for the substance was passed by the New Mexico State Legislature after a special session dedicated to passing the bill was called by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) released the following statement in response: “The result of […]
New York Legislature Passes Bill to Commercialize Marijuana
Both houses of the New York State legislature approved a standalone bill to legalize marijuana and establish a commercial market for its sale. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has promised to sign it into law. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and its New […]
New Study: Secondhand Marijuana Smoke More Hazardous Than Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
A new study found that secondhand marijuana smoke could be more hazardous to one’s health than secondhand smoke from cigarettes. The study compared emissions of fine particles, or particulate matter (PM 2.5) from tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke and found that the PM 2.5 emission rate of pre-rolled marijuana joints was 3.5 times higher than […]
Marijuana Banking Bill Re-Introduced in the U.S. House
The so-called “SAFE Banking Act,” a bill that would grant the marijuana industry access to the federal banking system and open the doors to Wall Street investment, was introduced in the United States House of Representatives. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former senior drug policy advisor to the […]
Virginia Legislature Legalizes Marijuana
Both houses of the Virginia Legislature agreed to a finalized version of the bill to commercialize marijuana in the commonwealth. If this bill is to be signed into law, Virginia will become only the third state in the nation to commercialize marijuana via the legislative process. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana […]
SAM Statement on New Jersey Legalization Regulations Bill Being Signed into Law
On his 1,133rd day in office, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill to implement marijuana commercialization into law. Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and its New Jersey affiliate, New Jersey Responsible Approaches to Marijuana Policy (NJ-RAMP), released the following statement in response: “We’ve fought against an extremely well-funded […]