 SAM Declares Victory in New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont
 Lawmakers recently announced that marijuana legalization bills in New Jersey, Vermont, and New Hampshire are all effectively dead for the 2019 session. This litany of victories comes on the heels of a slew of other wins this year in states like Minnesota and New Mexico.
“Consecutive years of victories for public health and safety in these states is revealing that the movement for legalization is losing steam,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, founder and president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action (SAM Action) and a former senior drug policy advisor to President Obama. “This was a resounding, nationwide victory for the minority communities who are relentlessly targeted by Big Marijuana and its Big Tobacco funders, as well as families, schools, and those using roads or public transportation.”
Given the laundry list of state victories for pro-public health forces this year, it is clear that the American public are becoming much more skeptical about the results of marijuana legalization in the few ‘legal’ states.
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SAM Releases Comprehensive Lessons Learned From Legalization Report
 SAM released its third annual Lessons Learned Report , a comprehensive study of the data outcomes in ‘legalized’ marijuana states. This study, validated by researchers from institutions such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins University and used as primary source material by international, federal, state, and local officials, as well as countless community organizations, finds that states that have legalized marijuana are witnessing rising use rates, thriving black markets, and harms among disadvantaged communities.
“As a handful of states are considering relaxing their marijuana laws, this report will continue to serve as an eye-opener for lawmakers and slow the rush to legalize,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of SAM. “The commercialization of marijuana has been profitable for the industries such as Big Tobacco, yet tax revenues are falling short and serious, costly consequences abound. It is time to admit that marijuana legalization is a failed policy.”
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Newsweek Oped: Big Marijuana Copies Big Tobacco’s Playbook. Let’s Not Make the Same Mistake Again
 In an opinion piece published in Newsweek, SAM founder Dr. Kevin Sabet argues that marijuana legalization is being supported by the titans of addiction: Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and Big Pharma, and is an affront to real social justice efforts.
“Big Marijuana isn’t just like Big Tobacco – there are now actual major tobacco conglomerates involved in cashing in on pot. Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, recently invested billions of dollars into a Canadian marijuana grower and has purchased a large stake in Juul (which itself is an offshoot of a marijuana vaping company at the root of today’s youth vaping epidemic). And you just can’t make this up: the former head of Purdue Pharma, who oversaw the deceptive marketing of OxyContin, became the head of a Canadian marijuana company.”
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First Release of Data from Canadian Legalization Shows Significant Increase in Youth and Overall Use
 A new Canadian federal study found a 27% increase in marijuana use among people aged 15 to 24 over the last year. Additionally, approximately 646,000 Canadians have reported trying marijuana for the first time in the last three months, an amount almost double the 327,000 that admitted to trying the drug for the same time period last year.
“Last year, Canada flouted international treaties and allowed a predatory, addiction-for-profit industry to entrench itself nationwide – and now we are beginning to see the results,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet. “It is stunning what has happened in such a short period of time: A doubling of first-time use of today’s highly potent and addictive marijuana and a rise in use among young people. This is incredibly concerning for the implications it has on mental health.”
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Illinois Legislature Puts Wall Street and Big Marijuana Ahead of Public Health, Safety, and Minority Communities
 After a year of debate and against the warnings of a vast, diverse coalition of parents, educators, doctors and medical associations, the NAACP, substance abuse professionals, and law enforcement groups, the Illinois General Assembly voted to legalize the commercial sale of marijuana in a narrow vote.
“This outcome is disappointing, as it is a win for wealthy marijuana investors and a loss for Illinois citizens and communities,” said Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “But we’re not done fighting. We will take this effort to local communities who do not want pot shops in their neighborhoods, and we will explore legal and other avenues to mitigate the harm.”
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Contemporary Health Issues on Marijuana: New Book Co-Edited by Dr. Kevin Sabet Available Now
Hot off the presses of Oxford University, Contemporary Health Issues on Marijuana
is now available for purchase.
 This new book, co-edited by Drs. Kevin A. Sabet and Ken C. Winters, comprises chapters by other experts hailing from a wide range of fields including psychology, epidemiology, medicine, and criminal justice. It is a balanced, data-driven volume highlighting new theory and clinical evidence pertaining to marijuana.
The volume features a comprehensive review of research into marijuana’s impact on public health, including how it affects cognitive and neurological functioning, its medical effects, suggested treatment approaches for marijuana use disorders, marijuana smoking and lung function, and marijuana-impaired driving.
Supplies are limited, so place your order today!
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MARIJUANA: PREVENTING ANOTHER BIG TOBACCO MEDIA CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT NOW AVAILABLE
Big Marijuana is borrowing the playbook of Big Tobacco in search of the same deep profits at the expense of addicted users. It is time to combat their game with the facts! To help you do so, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) has partnered with Communities for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth (CADY) to offer a comprehensive media campaign prevention toolkit.  |
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