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SAM Responds to Federal Marijuana Legalization Discussion Draft
A much-anticipated discussion draft of a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level has been officially unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The draft’s release is intended to further conversations around the eventual formal introduction of the bill at an undetermined future time.
Just hours after the introduction of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, SAM president Dr. Kevin Sabet joined Erin Burnett on CNN to explain why this federal legalization bill is unlikely to be passed into law:
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In response to the release of the discussion draft, the Science Advisory Board of SAM, comprised of a diverse group of world-renowned experts in research, addiction, and treatment from institutions such as Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins sent a letter to Senate Leadership outlining proposed regulations that should be a key part of any serious legislation.
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Yesterday afternoon, the United States House of Representatives passed a massive spending bill with pro-pot items, in defiance of the Biden Administration’s position on marijuana.
Read more about these items here.
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Latest Release of Colorado Data Underscores the Negative Impact of Marijuana Commercialization
Last week, the latest edition of the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s Marijuana Impact Report was released. Let’s take a look at a few of the more eye-opening takeaways:
Since 2015, among Colorado high school students who reported using marijuana in the past month, the proportion of those who smoked marijuana declined 15% while the number who reported dabbing skyrocketed 138.5%.
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Since legalization, past month marijuana use amongst those aged 18-25 increased 28% while the national average only rose 19%. And since 2014, past month use among adults has risen 41%.
Furthermore, among adults, weekly use of marijuana has increased 26% since 2014. Concerningly, 73.5% of 10-17-year-olds in substance abuse treatment report marijuana as their primary substance of use, a 10% increase since legalization.
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Since legalization in 2012, marijuana exposures among youth aged 0-5 reported to the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center rose 586%, with 15 such cases reported in 2012 and 103 reported in 2019. This equals an average annual increase of 64% in such exposures.
Suicides with marijuana present in the system increased 395.5% between 2006 and 2018. This is a concerning trend that warrants close attention. Just last month, a comprehensive NIH study suggested there exists a link between marijuana use and higher levels of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Finally, legalization has led to Colorado’s roads being much less safe. While the number of DUI citations overall has decreased, marijuana-related DUI citations rose 120% between 2014 and 2020. Furthermore, the number of drivers in fatal car crashes involving marijuana rose 155.3% from 2013 to 2019.
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Dr. Sabet joined Fox & Friends to discuss the potential link between the use of today's high potency marijuana and violence.
“This isn’t new to researchers who have been looking into this. We have Norman Miller’s research, Lauren Dellazizzo’s research, all in peer-reviewed, very respectable criminal journals finding a link between today’s high potency marijuana and violence. When marijuana is highly associated with paranoia and psychosis, it’s not surprising that we are seeing violent outcomes.”
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Legalization Effort Begin in Ohio; SAM Pushes Back |
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“We need to focus on real policies that help with social justice, like decriminalization and expungement, things that address the root cause,” said SAM Executive Vice President Luke Niforatos.
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Marijuana Ads in Chicago Celebrate and Promote Using Marijuana "Everyday |
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In several locations across Chicago, one can find murals such as the one pictured below that are ads for one of the largest marijuana companies in the country, Cresco Labs.
"Excellent Cannabis" embossed over the word "EVERYDAY" in all caps, clearly promoting the regular, heavy use of Cresco Labs marijuana.
Ads such as this further normalize marijuana use, especially problematic use, and further underscore the importance of the recent call for a global ban on marijuana advertisements by the United Nations.
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New Study: Schizophrenia Linked to Marijuana Use Disorder On the Rise |
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A new study out of Denmark found the proportion of schizophrenia cases linked with regular, heavy use of marijuana has increased over the past 25 years.
In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, according to the study.
"I think it is highly important to use both our study and other studies to highlight and emphasize that cannabis use is not harmless," said Carsten Hjorthøj an author of the study and an associate professor at the Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health. “There is, unfortunately, evidence to suggest that cannabis is increasingly seen as a somewhat harmless substance. This is unfortunate since we see links with schizophrenia, poorer cognitive function, substance use disorders…”
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SAM Science Advisory Board Member Dr. Aaron Weiner penned a phenomenal op-ed for Newsweek outlining the fact that we are losing the battle against opioid addiction.
"...as we approach the tragic milestone of 100,000 Americans dying annually from overdose, we must find a new way to approach this problem."
Read Dr. Weiner's piece here:
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Registration is now officially open for the 2021 Virtual Fall SAM Summit! This year’s Fall SAM Summit will be taking place on Friday, October 22nd from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Eastern.
Attendees to this year’s Fall SAM Summit will hear from top experts in the field discussing various topics. Take a look at the lineup of speakers for this year’s Fall Summit:
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Registration for the Fall SAM Summit is required with a suggestion donation between $69 to $129 (any donation is appreciated.) In order to complete the registration process, you must checkout with any dollar amount you wish. |
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Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
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We are proud to say that copies of Dr. Kevin Sabet's new book, Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn't Want You to Know, are flying off the shelves and is officially a bestseller, with over 20,000 copies sold!
Smokescreen serves as an exposé on the marijuana industry and pulls the rug out from under the industry's promoters.
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As always, thank you for being a SAM supporter. If you can, please support our efforts with a small donation by clicking here.
All the best,
Colton Grace
Communications Associate
Smart Approaches to Marijuana
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