Tag Archives: Project SAM

Exposing Marijuana Harms at New Jersey’s Black Caucus Meeting

COALITION OF PARENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, AND EMPLOYERS TESTIFY AGAINST MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AT LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS HEARING

At a hearing of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, coalition members of New Jersey Responsible Approaches to Marijuana Policy (NJ-RAMP) expressed their opposition to the legalization and commercialization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey.

Parents, law enforcement professionals, religious leaders, employers, and addiction professionals offered testimony, insights and expertise on a multitude of issues including health concerns, increase in youth use, drugged driving, and arrest rates among minorities.

According to news reports, a number of legislators would rather see decriminalization than legalization in New Jersey.  The Black Caucus prefers decriminalization as more helpful to minorities. Continue reading Exposing Marijuana Harms at New Jersey’s Black Caucus Meeting

Shaky Start for Oregon Marijuana Laws

Marijuana legalization is off to a shaky start in Oregon. Less than a week after commercial marijuana shops opened, Elizabeth Kemble was hit by the car of a stoned driver while crossing the street. She died 11 hours later, on October 5. The driver admitted to smoking pot behind the wheel. By all accounts, Kemble was a wonderful person who was born in El Salvador and spent much of her free time doing volunteer work to help others.

Since marijuana stores opened in Oregon October 1, it took no time for a company to violate the rules by offering free cannabis-infused lozenges. Stores are not allowed to distribute edibles at this time.  (Photo courtesy of SAM Oregon). The arrest of several youths in Redmond near a school shows that Oregon marijuana laws are not successful in keeping it away from youth.

On September 24, Diane Davidoff fatally shot her 17-year-old son, Jake, in the back in Gresham, near Portland.  Continue reading Shaky Start for Oregon Marijuana Laws

Marijuana Legalization Debunked!

Marijuana Debunked is a recently-published book by an addictions psychiatrist, Dr. Ed Gogek. The pro-legalization community pretends that the only policy choices are legalization and jail.  However, if the legalization advocates told us that truth, they would lose their talking points.  Gogek exposes the flaws of their arguments.

Here’s a sample of some quotes from the book, each one an important issue for parents who are faced with the challenge of educating our children about drugs.

Debunking Marijuana Myth #1: Pot is not Safer than Alcohol Continue reading Marijuana Legalization Debunked!

Time to Recognize Pot as Part of Mental Health Problem

H.R. 2646 Calls for Mental Health Care Reform

Eddie Bernice Johnson
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas

Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas and Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds held a press hearing on June 16, 2015, to announce a comprehensive new mental health bill, H.R. 2646.   Patrick Kennedy, son of Senator Ted Kennedy, is a co-founder of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), with Kevin Sabet.

Our criminal justice system is under fire.  The lack of adequate mental health care is in the news.  The mistreatment of the mentally ill who are incarcerated is also coming under scrutiny. Prevention through a comprehensive school drug education program in the United States could greatly diminish all three of these problems. Continue reading Time to Recognize Pot as Part of Mental Health Problem