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The 2022 10th Annual SAM Summit was held this past month on April 21st in Atlanta, GA, marking the first in-person conference held by SAM since our 2019 Summit. The event was a huge success and got kicked off with a special message from SAM President & CEO, Dr. Kevin Sabet.
Here are some of the highlights from the SAM Summit presenters:
Dr. Yngvild Olsen, Acting Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, provided the opening keynote, where she discussed marijuana and the challenges facing those on the frontlines of the addiction epidemic. Additional topics included youth use, marijuana’s effects on pregnant women, and SAMHSA’s work to address cannabis use disorder.
Former Congressman, founder of The Kennedy Forum, and Co-founder of SAM, Patrick Kennedy, provided a welcome message and got the crowd fired up to continue their advocacy in support of safer, fairer marijuana policies.
Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), provided an update on the increasing acceptance and normalization of marijuana use by Americans. Dr. Volkow covered wide-ranging topics, including the increase in high THC products, the effects of drugs on brain development, prenatal cannabis exposure, and marijuana's relationship with psychiatric illnesses.
SAM also distributed two awards at the Summit.
Kent C. “Oz” Nelson, former Chairman and CEO of UPS, received the SAM Lifetime Achievement Award, and Teresa Haley, NAACP Springfield President and NAACP Activist of the Year, received the SAM Advocate of the Year Award. We are grateful to them both for attending the 10th Annual SAM Summit and their continued efforts in support of our mission where we envision a society where marijuana policies are aligned with the scientific understanding of marijuana’s harms, and the commercialization and normalization of marijuana are no more.
Dr. Gary Kirkilas from Phoenix Children’s Hospital spoke and discussed his work to expand medical services, treatment, and support for vulnerable youth populations with substance use disorder. His office is a 40-foot mobile medical unit that travels to various homeless shelters in Phoenix providing free medical care to families as part of Phoenix Children’s Homeless Youth Outreach program in the General Pediatrics Department.
Robyn Oster, Senior Research Associate with Partnership to End Addiction, provided a presentation on how states legalizing marijuana for recreational use can design their laws to best protect youth.
Will Jones III, Director of Community Engagement & Outreach for SAM, provided a highly sought-after presentation, Marijuana Legalization: A Social Justice or Social Experiment?, that exposed the false promises often repeated by the marijuana industry.
Lauren Davis, a member of the Washington House of Representatives (D-32nd District) discussed her efforts to more appropriately regulate the marijuana industry in Washington, including her leadership to implement a THC potency cap.
Ruth Bowdish, Managing Director with Demand Occupational Medicine, provided a presentation on workplace-related issues with marijuana and its overall impact on America’s Jobs.
Dr. LaTisha Bader, Chief Clinical Officer at Women’s Recovery, presented on Cannabis & Sport: Changes in the League Influence the World, where she highlighted how changes in sport culture and athlete’s perception of risk are impacting the cannabis conversation.
Jordan Davidson, Communications & Legislative Affairs Officer for SAM, gave a powerful and inspiring presentation on his own story and overcoming cannabis use disorder. Highlights included how we can change the narrative at home, work, in schools, with friends, and in the political sphere to make this all-too-common problem more visible to the public.
Pete Nielsen, President & CEO of the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals, delved into each stage of cannabis recovery and helped attendees understand the journey one embarks on when seeking treatment and recovery.
Finally, Luke Niforatos, SAM Executive VP, announced the launch of SAM’s new initiative, the Parent Action Network. Multiple families from across the country joined Luke on stage to discuss the newly formed program. PAN’s goal is to mobilize parents and other family members to raise their voices about marijuana issues in society. PAN regularly engages with lawmakers, government decision makers, and the media. PAN is an all-volunteer army of concerned loved ones, many of whom have lived experience with how marijuana use detrimentally affects the family, who want to make a difference.
SAM would like to thank the following sponsors for providing their support to the 10th Annual SAM Summit:
Let’s Get Clear Georgia Breath Free Oregon Winbigler Medical
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