Latest News

SAM Statement: Marijuana Industry Report on Colorado Marijuana Tax Revenue   (Alexandria, VA)-Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the nation’s leading non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting evidenced-based marijuana laws released the following statement in response to a new report by the marijuana industry on marijuana revenue:    “Like the tobacco industry before it, the […]

SAM President Kevin Sabet penned a new piece for The Hill, explaining why the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment would benefit criminal organizations. Read it here.

(Alexandria, VA) – Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a national organization dedicated to promoting evidenced-based marijuana laws and policies, released the following statement in response to a new report from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) calling for the decriminalization of all drugs: “We cannot incarcerate our way out of our nation’s drug problem,” said […]

SAM Statement Regarding Removal of DOJ Marijuana Enforcement Barriers from Proposed CJS Appropriations Bill [Alexandria, VA — June 29, 2017]  “On April 4, Representatives Rohrabacher and Blumenauer, two Members of Congress funded by illegal marijuana operations selling pot candies to kids, wrote appropriators asking to include their pro-marijuana language in a base spending bill—and they […]

[ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 28, 2017]–A proposed government spending bill released today eliminated a provision that has protected the marijuana industry from federal prosecution for violating the Controlled Substances Act. The Rohrabacher-Farr language was eliminated from the Commerce, Justice, Science bill that funds the Department of Justice. In addition, the Financial Services bill retained language preventing […]

Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Marijuana Study Committee in Rhode Island   Contact: Anisha Gianchandani anisha@learnaboutsam.org (703) 828-8182   [Alexandria, Va.] –  Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet in response to the passage of a Rhode Island bill to study the effects of marijuana legalization (H.5551): […]

PNC Bank Closing Bank Accounts of Major Marijuana Lobby-Industry Group as Potential DOJ Enforcement Looms over Pot Businesses and Companies Who Service Them   [Alexandria, Va.] — Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a non-partisan, non-profit group focused on evidence-based drug policy, highlighted an announcement that PNC Bank is closing the bank accounts of the Marijuana Policy […]

Statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet Regarding Defeat of Vermont Marijuana Legalization   [Alexandria, VA, June 21, 2017] – Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) issued the following statement from SAM President Kevin Sabet in response to the conclusion of a special legislative session in Vermont which failed to pass a marijuana legalization bill:   “This is a […]

New Study Finds Costs of Marijuana-Impaired Driving in Canada Total More Than $1 Billion A new study led by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) found that the estimated cost of marijuana-impaired driving injuries, collisions, and fatalities totaled more than $1 billion in 2012. Teens and young adults between the ages of […]

Statement by President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana on Senators Booker and Gillibrand’s Marijuana Legislation to Bypass FDA   [Alexandria, VA, June 15, 2017] – Today, Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a national group promoting evidence-based marijuana laws, issued the following statement regarding medical marijuana legislation introduced by Senators Booker […]

Coalition of Concerned Citizens in Compton, CA Urge Attorney General Sessions to Stop Marijuana Commercialization   Leaders in Underserved Community to Speak Out About Marijuana Industry Takeover of Neighborhoods; Present Citizen Petition Asking Department of Justice to Intervene   (Alexandria, VA, June 12, 2017) – Today, a grassroots and broad-based coalition of concerned residents and […]

Tobacco Wholesalers Seeking Marijuana Monopoly   More evidence emerged today about the intent of corporate interests to take over the legal marijuana industry.  According to a report published in the Boston Globe today, the industry involved in delivering and taxing cigarettes sold in Massachusetts is now trying to take advantage of the new law to […]