Latest News

Marijuana Abuse: Increasing the Likelihood of the use of Harder Substances By Carissa Webb The subject of whether or not marijuana is a gateway drug has been one of much controversy for many years, but with increasing legislation regarding the legal status of the drug comes the need for this issue to be addressed. The […]

Today, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), along with Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), introduced S. 420/H.R. 420 to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, establish a commercial retail market, and tax the drug. In response, former Obama administration advisor and President and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), Dr. Kevin Sabet, released the following statement: […]

According to a story in today’s Springfield Journal Register, Illinois’ senior Senator Dick Durbin urged caution to state legislators looking to legalize recreational marijuana in his home state. “Senator Durbin is right, Illinois needs to slow down and think through their plan to legalize recreational pot.  Every state that has legalized has seen unintended consequences […]

Today, an audit conducted by the Oregon Secretary of State found that the recreational marijuana market has failed to stay up to date on mandated inspections, its testing system continues to allow exposure to harmful contaminants, and regulators of the industry have done next to nothing to stop legal marijuana from fueling the black market. […]

When state lawmakers consider legalizing marijuana, one of the first arguments they make is that the legalization of the drug will bring in tax revenue. Missing from that argument is the reality that the legalization and commercialization of marijuana has real societal costs associated with it that cannot be overlooked. Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) […]

In a speech on Tuesday at the US Naval Academy, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated that “In 2017, 72,000 Americans OD’d on drugs. In 2018, more people than that have OD’d on drugs, and today, incidentally, we are trying to legalize another addictive narcotic (marijuana), which is perhaps the stupidest thing anybody […]

It’s official. Big Tobacco is continuing its efforts to monopolize the marijuana industry. Altria, one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco products, announced it is investing $12.8 billion in vaping giant, Juul, a company that controls 68% of the e-cigarette market. Here is why this is a big deal: The move came […]

Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the leading non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to opposing marijuana legalization and holding Big Marijuana accountable, is proud to announce the unveiling of our new initiative, “The Money Trail: Where Big Pot Meets Big Politics,” that tracks marijuana industry donations to elected officials at the federal level. This initiative seeks […]

Today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled his proposal to legalize marijuana in the state. In response, Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), Smart Approaches to Marijuana New York (SAM-NY) and a New York resident released the following statement: “Marijuana legalization would enrich Big Tobacco at the expense of the health […]

(Trenton, NJ) – Today, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy renewed his call to legalize marijuana in the Garden State. In response, Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement: “Last year, Governor Murphy promised to sign marijuana legalization into law within his first one hundred days in office. Today, […]

Pot Poll: Majority of NJ Opposes Legalized Marijuana TRENTON – Put down the vape. The majority of New Jersey residents oppose legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a recent survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University. This marks the first time a recent poll in New Jersey has found less than 50 percent support for legalization.

Measuring Colorado’s “great experiment” with marijuana We’re far from CLEARING THE SMOKE over recreational marijuana use. A new federal policy announced this past week takes a tough line. It’s a challenge to states that have legalized use, including, most recently, the biggest state of all. Our Cover Story is reported by Barry Petersen: “I’ve never […]