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News Roundup
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October 2019
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Here is a brief rundown of marijuana news as well as an update on what we have been
up to over the last month.
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In Wake of Recent Vaping Crisis, Trump Administration Must Enact National Moratorium
on THC Vape Products
In response to a growing national crisis over the tragic deaths and hospitalizations
of hundreds of people from lung infections associated with marijuana vaping products,
SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet, called on the Trump Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the
Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to enact an immediate, national moratorium on the sale of all THC
vape products.
"We are calling on the Trump Administration and the new HHS advisory committee to
recognize that THC vaping poses a significant threat to public health and include
these dangerous products in their forthcoming recommendations. The sale of THC vaping
oils and other products must be halted before more Americans are put at risk," stated
Dr. Sabet.
Just last week, the Centers for Disease Control urged Americans to "refrain from
the use of vaping products, particularly those containing THC." This marks the
first time the agency has explicitly warned against the use of all THC vaping products.
SAM staff have put together a comprehensive list of facts and talking points [[link removed]]
for you to be able to discuss the marijuana vaping crisis with your family, friends,
and colleagues. If you share anything on social media, please be sure to use the
hashtag "#PotVapingCrisis" in order to raise awareness that the marijuana industry
is to blame.
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During a Marijuana Vaping Crisis, the U.S. House Puts Big Marijuana's Demands Above
the Interest of Public Health and Safety

New Study: Opioid Deaths Rising in "Legal" States

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act, a bill to grant the
marijuana industry access to the federal banking system. Notably, the bill passes
the House while the nation is in the grips of a health crisis, with at least two
of eight deaths and hundreds of cases of illness linked to marijuana vaping devices.
In response to the bill's passage in the House, SAM is calling on the U.S. Senate
to protect public health and safety in the face of this crisis by blocking this
addiction-for-profit legislation.
"This is a gift to Big Tobacco, which has already invested billions into pot. Granting
this industry access to banks will bring billions of dollars of institutional investment
from the titans of addiction and vastly expand the harms we are already witnessing,"
said Dr. Sabet.
"Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other leaders in the Senate should see through
this scam and stand up for public health. As it stands, Senators Chuck Schumer,
Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker have all stated opposition to the
bill. They know passing the SAFE Banking Act will do nothing but aid Big Marijuana
in harming disadvantaged communities."

A study by researchers in Oregon and California added to the foundation of data
countering efforts by the marijuana industry and its promoters to paint marijuana
legalization as a solution to the opioid epidemic.
The study used opioid mortality data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to
compare trends in opioid death rates in states "legalizing" marijuana in both "recreational"
and "medicinal" uses. In total, the study found 78% of "legal" states experienced
significantly higher rates of opioid-related deaths after legalization than states
that have not legalized the drug.
"With each day, more data comes to light proving that expanding access and use of
marijuana is a net negative in terms of public health and safety," said Dr. Kevin
Sabet. "Lawmakers are running far ahead of the science. The body of evidence on
this subject builds a solid case that marijuana legalization has a negative impact
on opioid abuse."
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SAM Unveils Latest Data on Marijuana Industry Donations

SAM released a thoroughly renovated database with the most up-to-date information
available on political contributions made by the marijuana industry to federal elected
officials.
The database now includes donations from K Street lobbying firms that work for the
marijuana industry, like Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (for the Cannabis Trade
Federation) and Squire Patton Boggs (for John Boehner's National Cannabis Roundtable).
"The flow of political donations from the marijuana industry to elected officials
has grown exponentially over the last few years as massive investment from the titans
of addiction has increased," said Dr. Kevin Sabet. "Big Marijuana is dutifully following
the playbook of Big Tobacco and part of that strategy was greasing the wheels on
public policy with donations. Another key aspect was keeping those donations under
the radar, we aren't going to let that happen."
This initiative seeks to expose elected officials who pocket money from the marijuana
industry and then support policies that would benefit the pot profiteers, such as
granting the industry investor access or tying the hands of the FDA from being able
to have even basic oversight of the industry.
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Cheddar Interview:
SAM Urges Caution on 2020 Marijuana Policy

New Colorado Report Shows Marijuana Harms Continue to Mount

SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet recent joined "Cheddar," the largest "post-cable"
news media organization, to discuss the various stances on marijuana policy held
by 2020 presidential candidates.
"When people say they support marijuana legalization, or even vote for it, if you
dig deeper you find out what they actually prefer is decriminalization, not commercialization.
They don't want to see pot shops in their back yards and they especially don't want
to see the rise of these new, dangerous products such as pot vapes."
Additionally, Dr. Sabet addressed the root cause of the ongoing vaping crisis saying
that "the majority of the problems we are seeing are from marijuana vapes, some
of which were legally obtained."

A new Colorado report compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking
Area finds marijuana-positive traffic fatalities, hospitalizations, marijuana use,
and illegal market activity have exploded since marijuana legalization.
"This report, coming on the heels of the Surgeon General's health advisory on marijuana
and in the midst of a marijuana vaping crisis, piles on to the broad array of data
we have indicating marijuana legalization is having a net-negative impact in states
that have chosen to legalize the drug," said Dr. Sabet. "The time has come to put
public health and safety over the demands of this harmful industry."
According to the report, marijuana-impaired driving is having a catastrophic impact
on the state, marijuana usage rates also continue to soar, and the black market
is in full swing.
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New Hampshire Coalition Urges Congressional Delegation to Oppose Marijuana Banking
Access During Health Crisis
Members of Smart Approaches to Marijuana New Hampshire (SAM NH) an affiliate of
SAM Action, joined New Hampshire State Senator Bob Giuda, Emergency Room Physician
Dr. David Strang, and Lebanon, New Hampshire Police Chief Richard Mello in urging
Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, as well as Representatives Ann Kuster
and Chris Pappas, to oppose efforts to extend banking access to the marijuana industry
in the midst of the pot vaping crisis and the opioid epidemic.
"As a medical doctor, I am extremely concerned about the potential unintended consequences
associated with passing the SAFE Banking Act," said Dr. David Strang, an Emergency
Medicine Specialist and Chairman of the New Hampshire Prescription Drug Monitoring
Program Advisory Council. "Sound scientific evidence, not financial urgency, should
guide both federal and state marijuana policies. As it stands, the scientific evidence
does not favor rewarding this industry with banking access and institutional investment."
The press conference featured a letter to the New Hampshire Congressional delegation
that highlights a recent push by former Directors of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy and former Administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration
to educate lawmakers as to their concerns with allowing the marijuana industry
banking access. Chief among these concerns is that banking access would be a boon
for cartels and other criminal organizations seeking to launder money through the
industry.
Additionally, the letter outlines the health harms of high potency marijuana, such
as being mass-produced by the marijuana industry, and explains the culprit behind
the ongoing fatal vaping crisis seems to be the use of marijuana vapes.
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SAM Op-Ed Corner
"Given the vaping crisis, N.J. should not legalize marijuana, an ex-presidential
adviser says"


Opinion: Should Pennsylvania legalize recreational marijuana?
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Billboards and Other Large Advertisements
Interested in really making a splash on the marijuana issue? Use our artwork on
a billboard, bus ad, building-sized poster, or other installation that is sure
to draw public attention, and maybe even media coverage! We have successfully used
billboards such as the one above to drive media and policymakers' attention to the
harms of marijuana legalization and you can, too!
Contact us at [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] to jump-start
your marijuana awareness work.
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SAVE THE DATE!
2020 SAM SUMMIT CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
Registration is now open [[link removed]]
for the The 2020 SAM Summit taking place in Nashville, TN alongside the Rx Drug
Abuse & Heroin Summit. This is the perfect option for interested and concerned
parties to learn more about what the current research says about the negative effects
of marijuana normalization on public health and safety.
We're looking for dynamic presenters for our annual summit. Ever want to give a
TED talk on some aspect of marijuana policy? If you said yes, then read on!
SAM is seeking proposals that focus on the following topics:

* Advocacy
* Prevention strategies
* Treatment and recovery
* Social justice
* Link between marijuana and opioids/other drugs.
* Workplace and employers, and impact on employee productivity
* Impacts on youth and young adults
PLEASE NOTE: All submissions are to be completed by Friday, November 1, 2019.
Submit proposals to Brendan Fairfield: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
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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 [[link removed]]
(SAM) has partnered with Communities for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth [[link removed]]
(CADY) to offer a comprehensive media campaign prevention toolkit [[link removed]].
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As always, thank you for being a SAM supporter. If you can, please chip-in with
a small donation by clicking here [[link removed]].
If you can't chip-in, then at the very least, please click here to share this with
a friend [[link removed]]
and help grow the SAM community.
All the best,
Colton Grace
Communications Associate
Smart Approaches to Marijuana
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Official SAM Website [[link removed]]
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Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) | [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
| 400 N. Columbus St., Suite 202
Alexandria, VA 22314

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