SAM In the News

Legislative Update

State Updates

Texas: Texas SB 3, which would prohibit the retail sale of any cannabinoid in Texas except for CBD and CBG, cleared the Senate and is progressing to the House. This bill would ban Delta-8, Delta-9, and all other forms of intoxicating THC, including beverages. Companion bills HB 28 and HB 2155 have been sent to the House State Affairs Committee. Learn more here.

Virginia: Governor Glenn Youngkin has once again put public health and safety above industry profit, vetoing a bill that would have allowed for a retail marijuana sales market in the state. Learn more here.

Maine: State Senator Scott Cyray is sponsoring legislation that would prohibit all forms of marijuana marketing and advertising in the state in order to “put up guardrails” to protect children. Learn more here. 

South Dakota: The state legislature has approved several new measures restricting citizen ballot measures, and the proposals are now waiting on approval from Governor Larry Rhoden. If approved, these measures “would shorten petition signature collection periods, require signatures from specific geographic areas and increase the voter approval threshold for constitutional amendments.” Learn more here. 

Tennessee: Partisan lawmakers introduced the “Tennessee Pot for Potholes Act,” which would attempt to legalize the commercial sale of high-potency marijuana and use the tax revenue to improve roads across the state. Kevin A. Sabet responded by noting that “the data across the country is clear and unmistakable—commercial sales of marijuana and THC drugs don’t produce revenue to fill potholes, pay for schools, or recoup other societal and government costs.” Learn more here. 

Stat of the Month

A recent study published in JACC Advances, affiliated with the American College of Cardiology, found that marijuana users under the age of 50 were six times more likely than non-users to experience a heart attack, 4 times more likely to experience an ischemic stroke, and twice as likely to experience heart failure than non-users.

Learn more here

Events and Trainings

SAM Trainings: Schedule a SAM Training today and learn what to say and how to say it.

In-person and virtual trainings are now available for all age groups associated with non-profit organizations, corporations, healthcare, clinicians, social workers, counselors, schools, law enforcement, and local community groups around the country that want to educate their communities and employees on all issues surrounding marijuana. To learn more about our speakers, please visit the training page on our website.  

To schedule a training, please contact us at: [email protected].

Grassroots

We are currently encouraging all advocates to show their appreciation to U.S. Rep. Mary Miller for writing an amendment to the 2018 Farm bill that would ban all hemp-derived products. If you haven’t already done so, you can read the letter here and add your signature here.

We want to thank all of you who continue to come forward to share your stories and are willing to advocate on Capitol Hill and in your states. Thank you to all who trust PAN to provide you with relevant resources and for supporting our efforts. To learn more about PAN, email [email protected].

Resources

Marijuana-induced psychosis has become much more common with the relaxation of legal constraints on its use, and the increasingly high potency of the substance in many countries, and recent studies are showing that THC administered to normal volunteers can readily induce a transient psychosis.

Click here to listen to this presentation.

Donate

Leave a legacy at SAM 

Have you ever considered a planned gift to power our work? Planned gifts cost nothing now but help fund our mission for years to come. It can be as easy as simply placing us in your will or estate plans. Contact John Spurlock, Chief Development Officer, at [email protected] to learn more. 

You can donate to support SAM’s work here.