For Immediate Release:
October 4th, 2019
BREAKING: FDA Commissioner Urges Americans to Avoid THC Vapes
(Alexandria, VA) – Today, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless announced the agency is urging Americans to “not use vaping products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.” Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former senior drug policy advisory to the Obama Administration release the following statement in response:
“SAM applauds Dr. Sharpless and the FDA for speaking up on this issue and joining the CDC in urging folks to avoid vaping marijuana. It is clear Big Marijuana’s latest innovation is the culprit behind this crisis, but it remains unclear as to what the offending substance in these products may be.
“Because we are still learning more, we urge the FDA to go a step further and begin taking enforcement action to pull these hazardous products off of shelves in ‘legal’ states and begin stronger scrutiny of the marijuana industry. We additionally urge the federal government to begin stronger enforcement of federal law. The ‘hands-off’ approach with regards to states loosening marijuana laws are proving to be a detriment to public health and safety.
“Finally, we call on Congress to postpone any further consideration on the so-called SAFE Banking Act or any similar legislation aiming to grant further investment and legitimacy to this industry.”
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About SAM
Co-founded in 2013 by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and Dr. Kevin A. Sabet, a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is the nation’s premier non-profit, non-partisan marijuana policy organization. Advised by a blue ribbon scientific advisory board, SAM envisions a society where marijuana policies are aligned with the scientific understanding of marijuana’s harms, and the commercialization and normalization of marijuana are no more. Its mission is to educate citizens on the science of marijuana and to promote health-first, smart policies and attitudes that decrease marijuana use and its consequences.
SAM has advised almost every state government in the U.S., Pope Francis, Queen Silvia of Sweden, and several other governments, dignitaries, and international organizations. It has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations, and SAM team members have testified before Congress numerous times, as well as appearing in almost every media outlet in the country.
Media Contact:
Colton Grace
(864) 492-6719
[email protected]