Dear John, 

Earlier this year, Dr. Phil’s team reached out to Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) to inquire about us helping with a show on marijuana. Dr. Phil is the nation’s #1 most-watched daytime talk show, reaching millions of daily viewers, so we were eager to help in any way we could. I was thrilled to appear as an expert on the show, which aired nationwide yesterday. 

This valuable conversation allowed us to reach a national audience, but it could not have happened without your support.

Please consider donating to SAM and help us continue to raise awareness about the harms of legalization. 

When I flew to Los Angeles to record the episode, I really didn’t know what to expect. I was excited to see my friends Laura Stack, who shares her tragic story; Dr. Roneet Lev, an ER physician; Heidi Swan; James and Charmaine Hays; and others. We were against Karen O'Keefe, the Director of State Policies at Marijuana Policy Project; retired police officer Major Neill Franklin; and "budtenders" Bre and Char.

As expected, certain parts of the conversation had to be cut for time, including a potential agreement on the importance of potency caps, but I was able to discuss the influence of tobacco and debunk the false narrative the legalization solves the illicit market. I am hopeful that the full discussion will be available for viewing online in the coming days. 

Pictured left to right: Dr. Roneet Lev, Dr. Kevin Sabet, Heidi Swan, Laura Stack

One of the audience members brought up a great point at the conclusion of the show: 

"We’re talking about tobacco, and this is bad. We’re talking about alcohol, and this is bad. And we can’t go back. And now we’re talking about wanting to legalize marijuana. Where are you going to go to next? Cocaine should now be legal? Heroin? Psychedelics? Where are you going to stop?...Maybe it’s not a gateway drug but it’s a gateway to the next legal drug.” 

We’ve been saying for years that legal access to all drugs is the end game of the marijuana legalization movement. This is part of why we cannot and will not give up on marijuana.

Your donation to SAM will help us participate in media opportunities, like Dr. Phil, and educate Americans who otherwise might not know about the risks of high-potency products, the influence of the tobacco industry, or the harms legalization has on kids.

Your support helps us get this message out, so please consider donating to our efforts today.

As always, thank you for all of your hard work and support.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Kevin Sabet 

President & CEO 

Smart Approaches to Marijuana