![\"\"](\"http://www.dontlegalizedrugs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SAM-LOGO1.png\" "\\"SAM"){kind=logo}
Dr. Kevin Sabet
President and Founder, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
About SAM: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a nonpartisan, non-profit alliance of physicians, policy makers, prevention workers, treatment and recovery professionals, scientists, and other concerned citizens opposed to marijuana legalization who want health and scientific evidence to guide marijuana policies. SAM has affiliates in more than 30 states.
Evidence shows that marijuana – which has skyrocketed in average potency over the past decades – is addictive and harmful to the human brain, especially when used by adolescents. In states that have already legalized the drug, there has been an increase in drugged driving crashes, youth marijuana use, and costs that far outweigh pot revenues. These states have seen a black market that continues to thrive, sustained marijuana arrest rates, and tobacco company investment in marijuana.
![\"\"](\"http://www.dontlegalizedrugs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/MACLogo.png\" "\\"MACLogo\\"")
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 20, 2019
CONTACT: Luke Niforatos [email protected] 303-335-7584
Marijuana Accountability Coalition Covers Denver With Billboards to Educate Governor Polis on Failed Marijuana Policies
(Denver, CO) – Today, the Marijuana Accountability Coalition (MAC), a Colorado group dedicated to holding the state\’s marijuana industry accountable, announced a new billboard campaign aimed at educating Coloradans and Governor Jared Polis on the failed policy of marijuana legalization in Colorado. Governor Polis is currently considering signing bills into law allowing for the creation of pot bars and other dangerous giveaways to the marijuana industry. This campaign seeks to enumerate why continued expansion of the industry is dangerous to public health and safety.
\”Marijuana has been legal in our state for five years now, and it has not helped our state,\” said MAC spokesperson Luke Niforatos. \”Our education system is still underfunded, marijuana-related traffic deaths and emergency room visits have skyrocketed, foreign cartels are turning our public lands into illegal farms, pot shops are taking over minority communities, and our state is now the poster child for drug use. This has been a failed experiment. It is time we push back against the lies promoted by the industry and take our state back from Big Marijuana.\”
The billboards, placed in highly trafficked areas throughout the Denver area, aim to set to the record straight regarding the results of the last five years of legalization. The concerning takeaways include:
- There has been a 151% increase in marijuana-impaired driving deaths
- Opioid-related deaths have increased every single year
- 70% of Colorado pot shops recommend marijuana to pregnant mothers
- There has been a 400% increase in 0-9-year-olds being exposed to high potency marijuana products
- Criminal gangs and foreign cartels are big fans of marijuana legalization
\”It is our hope that these billboards will wake up our fellow Coloradans to the reality that we have unleashed the second coming of Big Tobacco by allowing for the commercialization of marijuana,\” continued Niforatos. \”The pot industry is spending millions to sway Colorado lawmakers to free it from regulations and is treating our citizens like guinea pigs as it markets more potent and more addictive forms of the drug.\”
To learn more about the harms marijuana commercialization has on public health and safety, please visit www.pottruth.org.
FOUR STATES DECLINE TO LEGALIZE POT THROUGH LEGISLATURES THIS YEAR
May 2019
Marijuana legalization hit stone walls in New York and New Jersey this week and another effort died in New Hampshire. In Vermont, legislation to establish a commercial marijuana market faltered, too. Four states failed. Tiny windows of opportunity may still be open, but passing bills doesn’t appear possible before the end of this year’s legislative session.
It was the second year New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy tried to implement marijuana legalization through the legislature. In New Jersey, marijuana industry ties run deep. Governor Murphy’s first chief of staff was the lobbyist for the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association.
SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) worked for these defeats through its SAM Action division. Behind the scenes, SAM warns legislators in state and federal governments against marijuana legalization. SAM does not accept money from the pharmaceuticals industry, as pot lobbyists claim.
Pro-pot politics is faltering in Illinois and Connecticut, even though both states’ governors support legalization. Governor Pritzker’s cousins invest in cannabis businesses. Senator Richard Durbin, the Illinois NAACP and Illinois Catholic Bishops oppose legalization.
Learning from mistakes of other states
As Illinois State Representative Marty Moylan said, “It’s been a failed experiment in every other state that has made the move to legalize marijuana.” He wrote a letter to the Chicago Tribune, “Slow the push for legal pot.” A few days ago, the Chicago Tribune wrote another editorial, also calling for the state to slow down.
Legalization involves advertising and stores which push the public tolerance by locating close to homes and schools. Vermont allows personal possession of two mature marijuana plants, a policy best described as decriminalization. Although national polls usually don’t give the public the option of decriminalization, decriminalization reflects what most people want when they vote for legalization.
The state capital of Montpelier, Vermont
![](\"http://poppot.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Vermont-Statehouse-3.jpg\"){kind=link}
Vermont’s policy started July 1, 2018 and two months later, Keith Cushman smoked marijuana. drove and caused a fatal crash. A relative of one of the victims called for a better test to determine whether motorists are impaired by marijuana. Vermont’s decriminalization does not give the state enough power to test and prevent stoned driving.
Parents Opposed to Pot believes the dangers of using marijuana far outstrip the dangers of an arrest for marijuana possession. Alex Berenson’s new book, Tell Your Children the Truth about Marijuana, Mental Health and Violence, explains the mental health dangers.
Traffic deaths and violent crimes went up in the first four states to legalize marijuana. Drunk drivers never went away, and more people began combining alcohol and marijuana before driving.
Big lies permeate propaganda to legalize marijuana
Legalizers suggest or claim:….
For complete article go to Stepping Back From Marijuana Mayhem
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30th, 2019
CONTACT: Colton Grace [email protected] (864) 492-6719
COLORADO GOVERNOR SIGNS BLATANT GIVEAWAY TO MARIJUANA INDUSTRY INTO LAW
(Denver, CO) – Yesterday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed six bills into law that greatly loosen regulations on the marijuana industry in the state. Marijuana Accountability Coalition (MAC) spokesman Luke Niforatos released the following statement in response:
\”When Coloradans voted for Amendment 64, we were told the industry would be responsibly regulated to protect us. Since then, the industry has done everything in its power to load our government with allies and roll back those regulations. The governor\’s signature on these bills is just one more example of our state bending to the demands of the marijuana industry.
\”Allowing for home delivery presents several issues, most notably that it directly undermines the will of communities in the state that have banned marijuana sales as they were allowed to under Amendment 64. Signing HB 1230 into law trounces the Clear Indoor Air Act, allowing for use of marijuana in bars, restaurants, and public spaces. This also presents a considerable danger as it could lead to increased impaired drivers on our roads, a scourge our state is already experiencing due to legalization.
\”By allowing marijuana companies to be publicly traded, the governor has effectively signed a blank check to the industry by giving the go ahead to massively increased investment in the industry. This will allow the industry to greatly expand its marketing of kid-friendly, high potency gummies, candies, and ice creams that are fueling skyrocketing rates of emergency room visits and are linked with severe mental illness. It is time for our government to represent the people of Colorado, not Big Marijuana.\”
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About MAC: The Marijuana Accountability Coalition (MAC) is a coalition made up of individuals and organizations united for one common purpose: to fearlessly investigate, expose, challenge, and hold the marijuana industry accountable. If you care about the future of Colorado and holding Big Tobacco 2.0 (The Marijuana Industry) accountable, please join us.
About SAM: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a nonpartisan, non-profit alliance of physicians, policy makers, prevention workers, treatment and recovery professionals, scientists, and other concerned citizens opposed to marijuana legalization who want health and scientific evidence to guide marijuana policies. SAM has affiliates in more than 30 states.
www.MarijuanaAccountability.co
MY BROTHER AND I MET UP AGAIN AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED
By H. Swan, co-author, A Night in Jail Part 2 of a 3-Part Series. Read Part 1, Originally published on Momsstrong.org
As per the agreement with the intervention, we cut off contact with him. Tough love they call it. We didn’t know what else to do. K’s brain was obviously fried from all the drugs. Surely, he would die doing drugs and we couldn’t be part of it. We couldn’t have our own lives ruined because of his choices.
Looking back, he tells me he didn’t feel like anything was wrong with him. He was just a guy who chose to live the party life. He wasn’t going to be confined by “the nine-to-five job with a wife and kids.” He was born in the 60’s and wanted to live the footloose and fancy-free life.
Several years later, I was married and had a family. He called me from out of the blue. He was in transitional housing in a rehabilitation program, after having been in jail for the eighteenth time. I was the only one in the family with whom he hadn’t burned his bridges. His housing was coming to an end and he needed help getting a phone so he could look for work. My husband and I agreed to help him, as did our dad. After that, K and I spoke on the phone regularly. He seemed to really want to change his life.
Getting a job
As the months passed, and his time in government housing was coming to an end, I was becoming increasingly concerned because he still had no job, no place to live, and no money to get anything. It seemed obvious he would wind up homeless and doing drugs again very soon. Eventually, he’d be sent to prison if not dead somewhere. After much calling around, I managed to find him a job opportunity which would include his own apartment. He got it together, he interviewed and he got the job! What a relief!
Then after 3 months, he walked out of his job and his apartment and went back to living in the blackberry bushes. He called me from underneath the freeway and told me he was glad his old camp was still there. He was obviously high. He told me recently that when he had his first hit of crack after being clean for fourteen months, he laughed and laughed like a maniac. I was so angry with him. How could he throw it all away? Did he not care about the time and effort I put out to help him live a respectable, decent life? What about the rest of the family who was willing to accept him again? Was he the only person who mattered?
It took several months, but after I calmed down, we started talking again. I asked a dear friend of mine whose husband owned a company in the northwest to help K get a job. She generously agreed. Following her instructions, I told K to write out a resume and to be honest about his life and what he wanted to do now that he was out of jail.
“I’m the CEO of successful drug empire”
For rest of story got to Weed Wasted
New York City Lawmakers Ban Pre-Employment Drug Testing for Marijuana
Many employers in New York City will no longer be able to test job applicants for marijuana or THC–the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis–under a rule that was just adopted in the Big Apple. The new mandate will take effect in 2020.
\”Prospective employers don\’t test for alcohol, so marijuana should be no different. But in no way does this bill justify individuals going to work under the influence,\” said Jumaane Williams, New York City\’s public advocate and the legislation\’s sponsor.
We\’ve rounded up the latest news on this topic. Here are SHRM Online resources and news articles from other trusted media outlets.
More Workers Are Testing Positive
More U.S. workers are testing positive for marijuana, according to the annual Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index. The number of workers and job applicants who tested positive for marijuana climbed 10 percent last year to 2.3 percent. Positive test results for urine testing of marijuana, the most common type of testing done, continue to rise both for the general U.S. workforce and in regulated, safety-sensitive industries. Positive test results rose 8 percent for the general workforce to 2.8 percent and increased 5 percent for those in safety-sensitive jobs to 0.88 percent.
For complete story go to and the workplace safety insanity grows!
California lawmakers already want to roll back a key promise of marijuana legalization
Los Angeles Times May 2019
A view of an illegal marijuana dispensary after the Department of Water & Power shut off its utilities in Wilmington, Calif. on May 14. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A view of an illegal marijuana dispensary after the Department of Water & Power shut off its utilities in Wilmington, Calif. on May 14. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
When advocates for legalizing marijuana in California drafted Proposition 64, they made an important concession to win the support – or at least minimize the opposition – of local government and law enforcement groups: Cities and counties, they said, would be allowed to ban marijuana-related businesses entirely if they chose to.
That guarantee of local control was a central promise of the proposition. But now, some legislators want to reverse it and force local governments to accept pot stores against their will. It’s an unfair bait-and-switch tactic that should not be approved.
Under Proposition 64, which was approved less than three years ago, local governments may not prohibit adults from growing, using or transporting marijuana for personal use, but they can refuse to license cannabis companies in their jurisdiction.
And that’s exactly what many have done. Roughly 75% of local governments have outlawed pot shops.
That, however, has created a problem, in the eyes of some Proposition 64 supporters. One of the measure’s goals was to transform the marijuana industry from a largely uncontrolled, unchecked, underground operation into a highly regulated marketplace served by legitimate, taxpaying companies. But because of the local bans on retail pot shops, there are still many eager cannabis customers living in places where legal marijuana is not easily available – and many sellers are therefore continuing to operate illegally in the shadows.
Proposition 64 promised local control, and many of the people who voted for it may have thought that was a critical part of the proposition.
In other words, the local bans are seen by some people as encouraging black market operators who don’t pay taxes or necessarily follow the new law’s regulations, such as those on pesticides and packaging. The state has sent more than 3,000 cease-and-desist letters to illegal pot businesses.
For complete story go to WE SAW THIS FIASCO COMING — Now You Have THREE Marijuana Markets!
The Need for Federal Regulation of Marijuana Marketing
John W. Ayers, PhD, MA1; Theodore Caputi, MPH1; Eric C. Leas, PhD, MPH2
JAMA. Published online May 16, 2019. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4432
Anational for-profit marijuana industry is expanding substantially in the United States. Thirty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, 10 of which (where 1 in 4 individuals reside) have also legalized recreational marijuana. Sales of marijuana are projected to increase from $8.5 billion to $75 billion by 2030, rivaling current tobacco sales ($125 billion).1 The initial marijuana marketplace was limited to a few states, but emerging brands have developed sophisticated national marketing campaigns that could potentially have an effect across state lines. This marketplace expansion, along with questionable marketing practices, introduces a need for federal action.
An Emerging Marijuana Brand: MedMen
An example of a major, emerging national marijuana brand, MedMen, is helpful to illustrate the challenges ahead as more national brands emerge. MedMen is a US-based, publicly traded company that owns and operates licensed cannabis facilities involved with the cultivation, manufacture, and retail distribution of marijuana. The self-proclaimed “Apple Store of Weed,” MedMen is a lifestyle marijuana brand that operates under its newest slogan: “Welcome to the new normal” and has locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, and New York (including a flagship on Fifth Avenue). This past year, MedMen initiated a well-funded national advertising campaign, including advertising buys on The Howard Stern Show (with a potential audience of 100 million since Sirius XM’s acquisition of Pandora) and The Adam Carolla Show (which holds the Guinness World Record for most downloaded podcast).2 Sleek, bright red billboards, YouTube videos, and social media advertisements coordinate both with the company’s yoga and apparel line that are sold in all 50 states. With MedMen’s product offerings, consumers can integrate marijuana into almost every aspect of their life, including bath soaps and bombs, candy, cosmetics, drink mixers or tincture, food, medicinal products (eg, pain pills or sleep aids), pet products, sex lubricants, and vaporizers.
Health Claims, but No Health Warnings: Health and medicine are implied in the name of this company, even though a majority of MedMen’s stores sell recreational marijuana. Billboards read, “Heal. It’s Legal.” The company’s blog Ember: A Journal of Cannabis and Culture has an entire section dedicated to health, including a claim that marijuana “can reduce anxiety, pain, and so much more,”3 a physician’s recommended list of marijuana products for menstrual cramps,4 and promotion of marijuana as a safe, natural, and nonaddictive alternative to prescription medications, even implying that marijuana can treat opioid addiction, an opinion with which experts disagree.5 The first national radio—podcast advertisements in 2018 did not mention marijuana, but advertised unnamed wellness treatments. A planned collaboration with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, which was recently fined for misleading health claims,6 has been announced. A short film to promote MedMen starred actor Jesse Williams, who portrays a surgeon in the hit ABC 1-hour medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Despite all of these nationally broadcasted health claims, MedMen’s products do not carry any national health warnings about the potential adverse effects of marijuana use. The only health warnings included on the MedMen website are “marijuana products impairs your ability to drive and operate machinery” and that MedMen “cannot guarantee the accuracy of any marijuana information provided” on its website.
Appeals to Youth: MedMen uses advertising techniques that could appeal to teenagers and perhaps even to children. MedMen makes use of models with youthful appearances. The MedMen clothing line features a high school varsity jacket emblazoned with a marijuana leaf. One celebrity spokesperson, Lake Bell, is known among teen audiences for her role in the 2016 animated film The Secret Life of Pets. A blog post entitled “How CBD Can Help With Breakouts”7offers a dermatologist’s endorsement of products for treating acne, a condition affecting nearly all teenagers. Highly sexualized imagery and promises to improve a user’s sexual experience are often used by MedMen, including T-shirts that pair the word cannabis with unrelated images of women’s bodies and a recent promotion featuring a salivating fruit placed over a woman’s genitalia with the caption “Get High Down Low.” Taffy, gummies, and gingerbread house kits are among many additional MedMen products that may appeal to youth. Regardless of intent, these marketing strategies might indeed attract youth.
The Need for Regulation
For complete article https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2734209