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BREAKING
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** The Washington Post: SAM CEO and Former Attorney General warn rescheduling would unlock enormous revenue for the corporate marijuana industry.
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Former Attorney General Bill Barr and SAM CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet published an op-ed making the case against rescheduling marijuana under federal law. “Those who would loose this dragon on our society are laying the groundwork for another Big Tobacco and should think of the generations of future victims that will suffer.”

FULL STORY → ([link removed])
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SAM NEWS


** Dr. Kevin A. Sabet in The Wall Street Journal: Has legal marijuana passed its high point?
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SAM’s CEO observes that marijuana’s costs and hazards are catching up with the politics.

FULL STORY → ([link removed])

BREAKING
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** Confirmed in The Lancet Psychiatry: There is no universally safe level of marijuana.
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A sweeping new review ([link removed](26)00086-6/fulltext) in The Lancet Psychiatry has reached a conclusion the marijuana industry has spent years working to obscure: there is no safe amount of cannabis to use. People who use cannabis “need to know that there is no universally safe level of cannabis use,” the authors write. “The only reliable way to avoid any risk for harm from using cannabis is abstinence.”

FULL STORY → ([link removed])

BREAKING


** The National Institute of Health (NIH) releases Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study.
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For decades, the classic picture of teen substance use was a familiar trio: alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. New data suggests that triad has quietly turned on its axis. Today the tightest bond runs between two substances, nicotine and cannabis, joined by vaping.

LEARN MORE → ([link removed])
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TDR SPOTLIGHT


** New Review: Marijuana use is linked to violence.
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A new Frontiers in Psychiatry perspective ([link removed]) comes to a blunt conclusion: “The convergence of evidence from epidemiological, neurobiological, and clinical studies supports a causal relationship between cannabis use and psychotic disorders and violence.”

LEARN MORE → ([link removed])


** New Podcast
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HIGH STAKES


** The Texas Congressman Against Big Weed
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Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) joins Kevin Sabet for Episode 5 of High Stakes to discuss the growing bipartisan effort to keep marijuana classified as a Schedule I drug, Congress’s move to close the intoxicating hemp loophole, and new legislation aimed at preserving drug testing for safety-sensitive transportation workers if federal marijuana policy changes.

WATCH HERE → ([link removed])


** Stats of the Week
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** 21.4M
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DAILY MARIJUANA USERS


** 19.3M
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HAVE MARIJUANA USE DISORDER


** 1 in 3
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MARIJUANA USERS MEET THE CRITERIA FOR ADDICTION

Source: SAMHSA, 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health ([link removed])


** In The News
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Albany Times Union: ([link removed]) Editorial: Protect Kids from Cannabis

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The Boston Globe: Kevin A. Sabet on the Massachusetts ballot measure to reverse legalization ([link removed])

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The New York Post: A message to the New York state dopes who voted to legalize weed: Told you so ([link removed])

QUICK HITS

The Wall Street Journal: More U.S. workers are testing positive for marijuana. Fewer employers are concerned. ([link removed])

The Wall Street Journal: California is high on illegal marijuana ([link removed])

The Washington Post: The latest science on cannabis has some good news and bad news ([link removed])

The Wall Street Journal: Want to turn back pot legalization? Look to Oregon ([link removed])

FOLLOW FOR UPDATES → ([link removed])


** Events and More
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THC INC


** THC INC Showing in New York City
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[link removed]

If you're planning to be in the New York City area, we hope you'll join us ([link removed]) for this special screening of THC INC and an engaging post-film discussion. RSVPs are free ([link removed]) , and guests will enjoy free popcorn, candy, and soda — as well as access to a post-screening discussion with Sohrab Ahmari of UnHerd and Nick Gillespie of Reason. Don’t miss it! ([link removed])

RESERVE YOUR SEAT → ([link removed])

WATCH THE MOVIE → ([link removed])

GET INVOLVED


** Host a Free Screening of THC INC
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Looking to spark a deeper conversation in your community? Host a free screening ([link removed]) with support from our partners at Picture Motion, plus a screening toolkit and educational resources designed to foster informed, stigma-free dialogue.

UPCOMING SHOWTIMES

New York: Smart Approaches to Marijuana ([link removed]) . Quad Cinema, New York, August 11.

Oregon: Rivercrest Academy Recovery High School ([link removed]) . Portland, September 25, 2026.

Louisiana: Healing Minds ([link removed]) . New Orleans, October 3, 2026

Pennsylvania: SAM Parent Action Network ([link removed]) & Monica DiLossi - Newtown, October 27, 2026.

New Hampshire: Memorial High School ([link removed]) . Manchester, October 30, 2026

Missouri: The EMPOWER 2026: NAADAC Annual Conference ([link removed]) , Kansas City, August 30, 2026

Maryland: CADCA Forum ([link removed]) . National Harbor, February 2027.

UPCOMING EVENT


** Register for the 2027 SAM Good Drug Policy Summit
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FEB 4 • NATIONAL HARBOR, MD

Join us in partnership with the CADCA National Leadership Forum at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland, for one can’t-miss day of timely drug-policy presentations from leading voices in prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement.

REGISTER HERE →

SEEKING SPEAKERS

Ever wanted to give a TED-style talk on drug policy? We’re looking for dynamic presenters for our annual summit. Contact Brendan Fairfield (mailto:[email protected]?subject=&body=) to get involved.

MORE NEWS

☑️ National Update: The debate around hemp-derived THC intensified as a fight over whether to delay the impending November ban started in the Senate. SAM is working hard with its allies to keep the hemp THC ban in place! DEA also moved to list synthetic kratom as a Schedule I drug. SAM submitted public comments in support of this, but also stressed that all kratom needs to be moved into Schedule I.

☑️ SAM Executive Vice President Luke Niforatos delivered two presentations at the CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute in Orlando, FL. His first session examined the growing landscape of psychedelics, while his second focused on marijuana policy and prevention, which he co-presented with Sue Thau of CADCA..

☑️ SAM Government Affairs Director Jordan Davidson and Federal and State Policy Associate Iman Lohrasbi presented at the 2026 Social Conservative Policy Conference in Washington, DC. Their session explored the latest developments in federal and state marijuana policy, equipping attendees with timely insights into the evolving legislative and regulatory landscape.

☑️ Parent Action Network has been busy interviewing new families, supporting our current advocates in their work across the country, and recording new episodes of the Fortitude Podcast ([link removed]) . ([link removed]) The goal? To send a clear message to legislators and decision-makers on the dangers of today’s high potency products and the devastating impact it has had on thousands of families. You can help us get this message out by subscribing to our newsletter ([link removed]) , following us on Facebook ([link removed]) , Instagram ([link removed]) , and X ([link removed]) , subscribing to Fortitude ([link removed]) , and sharing these stories with anyone you think might benefit from them.


** Help Us Build
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This summer has seen our message reach new heights as Dr. Kevin Sabet took SAM's mission to the pages of one of the nation's most influential publications. His Wall Street Journal interview asks an important question: Has legal marijuana reached its high point? As more states grapple with the consequences of commercialization, the conversation is beginning to shift. Communities are experiencing the unintended costs of legalization, and policymakers are becoming more willing to question whether the promises of the marijuana industry have been fulfilled.
DONATE HERE ([link removed])

How does this message reach millions of Americans through publications like The Wall Street Journal? Because of supporters like you. Your generosity allows SAM to bring sound science, credible research, and principled advocacy to the national conversation at the moments when it matters most.

Please consider making a gift today to help us continue this fight ([link removed]) .
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© 2026 Smart Approaches to Marijuana. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
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