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Retail marijuana sales bill passes in Virginia Senate
Retail marijuana sales are one step closer to becoming a reality in the Commonwealth. For the second time, a marijuana bill is making its way through the General Assembly. The bill would allow for marijuana licenses to be issued to business owners by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority beginning this September. “Every year that we […]

MISSOURI’S COMMERCIAL POT SALES CONTINUE TO DAMAGE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement in advance of the anniversary of commercial marijuana sales in Missouri on February 3: “Trends across the nation have universally shown that sales of today’s high-potency marijuana and THC-infused drugs are resulting […]

NEW YORK’S LEADERS MOCK THOSE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION WITH “CELEBRATION” OF $1 BILLION IN SALES OF DANGEROUS PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS
Hochul Administration, Legislators Ignore the Science and Harms Being Inflicted by NYS Pot Sales (ALBANY, NY) – New York Lawmakers are ignoring the science and celebrating addiction in Albany. Nearly four years after New York’s politicians legalized the sales and use of high-potency, psychoactive marijuana and THC drug products, the science and the consequences keep getting worse. That’s the message Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a group co-founded […]

SAM Friday Fact 1/24/2025: CBP Data Show That Illicit Market for Marijuana is Expanding
According to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the illicit market for marijuana has been expanding. In fiscal year 2024, CBP seized 174,991 pounds of marijuana, up from 149,582 in FY 2023 and 154,797 in FY 2022. The number of individual seizure events––as opposed to total weight––has also been increasing. In FY 2024, there […]

The Poisoning: RFK Jr.’s Influence on Drug Policy: What to Expect From Trump’s New Administration
Luke Niforatos on “The Poisoning” Podcast. View the episode HERE.

Sabet in New York Times: Kennedy’s Plan for the Drug Crisis: A Network of ‘Healing Farms’
In dark bluejeans and work shirt, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood in a Texas farm field, faced a camera and outlined his plan to combat drug addiction. “I’m going to bring a new industry to these forgotten corners of America, where addicts can help each other recover from their addictions,” he said in a 45-minute […]

TRUMP CAN’T MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN AND SUPPORT ADDICTIVE DRUGS IN OUR COMMUNITIES
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement today upon the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States of America: “In November, voters across red and blue states rejected the legalization of drugs like marijuana […]

SAM Friday Fact 1/17/2025: Risk and Protective Factors for Adolescent Marijuana Use
A study published last month in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine identified 5 risk factors and 3 protective factors for adolescent marijuana use. The study, based on the 2021 Planet Youth survey, drew on a sample of 4,404 15–16-year-olds in Ireland. Perhaps not surprisingly, the use of other substances was a risk factor for […]

ARIZONA’S COMMERCIAL POT SALES CONTINUE TO DAMAGE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
(PHOENIX, AZ) – Dr. Kevin Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)and a three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement in advance of the anniversary of commercial marijuana sales in Arizona: “Trends across the nation have universally shown that sales of today’s high-potency marijuana and THC-infused drugs are resulting in more THC-related […]

DOORDASH’S DRUG DELIVERY SERVICE SKIRTS FEDERAL DRUG POLICIES, RISKS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Parents whose children have been negatively impacted by today’s commercially-produced THC drugs are sounding the alarm after national online delivery service DoorDash announced it is now offering on-demand delivery of hemp-derived THC and CBD products, including gummies and beverages – substances known to be associated with mental and physical health consequences, especially […]

Newsweek: ‘Making America Healthy Again’ Must Start With Better Drug Policy
The Trump-Vance administration has the opportunity to take decisive action to curb the devastating effects of drug normalization and addiction. Americans, meanwhile, are waking up to the harms of the failed experiment of pot legalization—voters rejected 7 of the last 10 ballot measures to legalize the drug. Prevention is key, and we cannot forget that […]