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** “We need to make drugs harder to get than help.”
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Dr. Kevin Sabet gave the opening keynote at the 2025 Oxford House World Convention in National Harbor, MD for the group’s 50th anniversary. His speech explained why the Oxford House model works so well and detailed the dangers of rescheduling marijuana and failing to act against kratom.

Watch Dr. Sabet’s keynote here. ([link removed])


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** The illusion of ‘safe’ marijuana (UnHerd) ([link removed]) : ([link removed])
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SAM CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet explains why there is no such thing as safe marijuana as he talks through the thorny debate around rescheduling. Key takeaway: Moving the drug into Schedule III will not only unleash social disorder; it will also cause regulatory chaos.

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** It’s all politics (PolicySphere) ([link removed]) : ([link removed])
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SAM EVP Luke Niforatos spoke with Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry about the ugly political imperatives driving the push to reschedule marijuana; this is crucial context to understand the current argument.

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** Rescheduling vs. Trump’s wider agenda (The Hill) ([link removed]) : ([link removed])
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Dr. Kevin Sabet in a deep-dive interview gives his thoughts about how at odds with Trump’s wider policy posture the idea of rescheduling really is.
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** Biden owns rescheduling (The Daily Caller) ([link removed]) : ([link removed])
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In an important op-ed, Luke Niforatos traces the genealogy of rescheduling, why it made no sense when President Joe Biden first began to work on it, and why the current administration must reject it.

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** Free SAM Webinar: ([link removed]) One Nation Under the Influence: America’s Drug Habit and How We Can Overcome It ([link removed]) ([link removed])
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** Thursday, October 16
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** 1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern Time
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Join our upcoming free webinar to hear directly from Dr. Kevin Sabet, author of One Nation Under the Influence ([link removed]) , as he tackles the most urgent drug crisis in American history with real-world insights and bold, actionable solutions. With overdose deaths reaching staggering levels, this is a timely conversation you won’t want to miss—because no one is immune, and the time for change is now.
Click Here to Register for One Nation Under the Influence ([link removed])


** In the News
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Axios: How Trump is making pot a MAGA issue ([link removed])
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Bloomberg: Pot industry steps up lobbying as Trump mulls change ([link removed])

Rand Paul's support of hemp-derived THC puts KY kids at risk (Courier-Journal): ([link removed]) Kevin’s op-ed in the Louisville Courier-Journal slams Sen. Rand Paul (KY) for doing the hemp-derived THC industry’s bidding and blocking a national ban in Congress.

Reefer sanity? It’s time to rethink legal weed (NH Journal): ([link removed]) Kevin went on Michael Graham’s podcast to talk about why it’s time to reconsider legal weed programs within states.

Trump shouldn’t ease federal restrictions on weed (City Journal): ([link removed]) Kevin’s piece explains the numerous reasons why rescheduling weed would be a costly policy error.


** Legislative Update
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The past month has been rescheduling, rescheduling, rescheduling. As President Trump remarked that a decision on marijuana reclassification would come within weeks, our team went into overdrive to activate Capitol Hill and stakeholders nationwide. We've gotten members of Congress to call the White House and nearly fifty organizations to sign onto

our coalitions letter ([link removed]) to the President urging him to oppose rescheduling. Our team is doing a full court press on the rescheduling issue to maximize the chances that the Administration rejects the misguided recommendation to give tax breaks to Big Weed.


** State Updates
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Texas: The second special session has begun, and the updated hemp THC ban is now SB 6. The bill has passed the Senate and is currently in the Texas House. It will be heard in the Public Health Committee.

We applaud the Texas Senate for quickly passing SB 6 and now urge the House to follow suit.

North Carolina: HB 328, a bill intended to ban certain types of intoxicating hemp while permitting others, was not approved in this year's session. We thank the state legislatures for prioritizing public safety as we continue to advocate for a complete ban on these harmful products.

Dr. Kevin Sabet, President and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), stated the following in an opinion piece for The Carolina Journal: “The bill’s being sold as an advance for public safety that also recognizes commercial reality. But it would, in effect, legalize marijuana through the backdoor after repeated rejections by the state through the front. The bill is a Trojan Horse: It proposes to ban some intoxicating hemp products fully, while legalizing recreational marijuana so long as it is derived from hemp and sold to people over 21— and away from schools. In other words, a complete surrender to the addiction industry that drives the THC trade.”

Georgia: A new report in Georgia highlights the increase in marijuana-related poison control calls involving young children: Georgia Poison Center warns of rising cases of children ingesting marijuana edibles.

This comes after SAM’s Iman Lohrasbi testified before a Georgia intoxicating hemp panel to advocate for a complete ban on these products.

Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania lawmakers did not incorporate marijuana legalization into the 2025 state budget. SAM commends them for resisting such legislation, believing it would harm public safety and yield minimal extra tax revenue.


** Grassroots
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With President Trump’s announcement that a decision on rescheduling marijuana could be made public at any time, the Parent Action Network ([link removed]) team has been busy providing actions for family advocates and engaging them in posting videos and sending correspondence urging the President not to reschedule marijuana. You can find these videos and more on our Facebook ([link removed]) and X ([link removed]) pages.

With August hosting National Grief Awareness Day, we continue to schedule and release episodes of the

Fortitude Podcast ([link removed]) , which features families who have turned their grief into action, hoping to send a message to our legislators across the country on the dangers of today’s high-potency products and the devastating impact they have had on thousands of lives. Our latest episode ([link removed]) features a Florida mom who shares the heartbreaking transformation of her academically successful daughter due to cannabis-induced psychosis. After receiving a medical marijuana card—at the recommendation of her neurologist—to treat normal college anxiety, her daughter spiraled into severe psychosis believing she could read minds and teleport. You can help us get this message out by sharing these stories with anyone you think might benefit from them.

Don’t forget to visit the PAN pages on Smart Approaches to Marijuana ([link removed]) and Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions ([link removed]) to find valuable resources, articles, newsletters, and webinars. You can sign up for our newsletter and alerts here ([link removed]) .


** Events and Trainings
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** SAVE THE DATE: 2026 SAM Good Drug Policy Summit ([link removed])
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The 2026 SAM Good Drug Policy Summit will be taking place in partnership with the CADCA National Leadership Forum on February 5th and 6th in National Harbor, MD.

Registration for the Summit is now open. This can’t-miss event will feature the best in evidence-based drug policy and will run from the afternoon of Thursday, February 5 through Friday, February 6.
Click Here to Register for the SAM Summit ([link removed])

SAM President & CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet participated on a panel session in New Hampshire at the 2025 Presidential Initiative Summit hosted by the National Association of Attorneys General.

Pictured from L to R: Derek Brown, Utah Attorney General, Dr. Kevin Sabet, Dr. Stephen M. Taylor, President, American Society of Addiction Medicine, and Janet Herold, Legal Director, Justice Catalyst.

Dr. Kevin Sabet spoke at Restorative Pathways’ national conference on Friday, August 29, after his presentation at the Oxford House World Convention.


** Resource
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** SAM Explainer: Why Marijuana Should Remain Schedule I ([link removed])
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President Donald Trump recently announced that a decision on whether he will recommend moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III is imminent. But what would the President’s actually moving ahead with rescheduling mean?


** Stat of the Month
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** Places that ban marijuana storefronts have 67% less psychotic disorders among teens. ([link removed])
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** Donate ([link removed])
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Over the past few weeks, there have been reports that President Trump is considering moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Such a change would give the marijuana industry new opportunities to expand while weakening safeguards that protect public health and community safety.


We’ve established the SAM Rescheduling Legal Defense Fund ([link removed]) to challenge this dangerous policy shift through legal action and advocacy.


Your support today is vital. We ask that you please make a gift to help us stand against rescheduling and protect our communities.

Click here to donate ([link removed]) . Use the drop-down menu to indicate where you would like your donation to be applied.

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