Preventing the next Big Tobacco

Holding Big Marijuana Accountable,
Protecting the Public from Marijuana Commercialization

SAM’s primary focus is educating the public about the harms of marijuana legalization—a policy which has consistently placed corporate profits and addiction ahead of public health. We provide information on the harms of such policies to interested parties for use in messaging, and educate federal and state legislators on the benefits of a science-based marijuana policy.

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Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is

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. Our mission is to educate citizens on the science of marijuana and to promote health-first, smart policies and attitudes that decrease marijuana use and its consequences.

Educating the public and policy makers on the harms of marijuana commercialization and legalization

We invest heavily in the longer-term goals of educating the public and policy-makers alike on the harms of marijuana use and marijuana commercialization, the importance of science-based drug policy, and research into the potential medical use of compounds derived from marijuana. Working with our state affiliates, we hold federal, state, and local-level briefings across the country on these issues, and produce and distribute a wide range of related educational materials at no charge.

 

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The Four Pillars of
Smart Approaches to Marijuana

Awareness

To inform public policy with the science of today’s marijuana.

Reform

To have honest conversation about legal reforms that include reducing the unintended consequences of current marijuana policies, such as lifelong stigma due to arrest.

Prevention

To prevent the establishment of Big Marijuana that would market marijuana to children — and to prevent Big Tobacco from taking over Big Marijuana. Those are the very likely results of legalization.

Research

To promote research on marijuana in order to obtain FDA-approved, pharmacy-dispensed, cannabis-based medications.

Stay Up to Date on Recent News

Dr. Kevin A. Sabet in Newsweek: Four important ways Trump can tackle the drug crisis and Make America Healthy Again

President Donald Trump’s newly issued statement on drug policy priorities shows his administration has embraced the Make America Healthy Again movement as it tackles American’s top public health crisis: addiction. The next step must be to re-empower the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), elevating America’s anti-drug movement to the prominence it deserves.  […]
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SAM Friday Fact 4/4/2025: “Safer supply” in Canada linked to an increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations

A recent study in JAMA Health Forum found that British Columbia’s experiment with “safer supply” was associated with a statistically significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations. It also found that the province’s decriminalization of the possession of illicit drugs was associated with a statistically significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations. The study, led by Dr. […]
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For “Friction”: Diving Deeper into The Ezra Klein Show

Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Anxious Generation, was recently on Ezra Klein’s podcast The Ezra Klein Show. The Anxious Generation studies the epidemic of teenage mental illness as technology like smartphones and social media become increasingly pervasive in their lives. Excessive usage of these technologies disconnects a teenager from the non-digital world: the real world. That deprivation plus […]
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Be a part of ourgrowing coalition

Our partners consist of both individuals and organizations who promote big ideas and help us in this ongoing work championing smart policies that decrease marijuana use.

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We should meet people where they are at, but never leave them where they are at.

Congressman Patrick J. KennedyCo-Founder, Smart Approaches to Marijuana