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Smart Approaches to Marijuana

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Smart Approaches to Marijuana
Smart Approaches to Marijuana.png
Basic facts
Location:Alexandria, Virginia
Type:501(c)(3)
Founder(s):Patrick Kennedy
Year founded:2013
Website:Official website


Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. According to its website, the organization'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."[1]

Background

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) was established in January 2013 by former Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), David Frum, Kevin Sabet, and a group of Colorado-based health professionals in response to the successful 2012 marijuana legalization initiatives in Colorado and Washington. Kennedy, a former oxycodone addict, established SAM to counter the growth in support for marijuana legalization within the Democratic Party.[2][3][4][5]

As of December 2025, SAM's website says its 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."[6]

Leadership

As of December 2025, the following were listed as part of SAM's leadership committee:[6]

  • Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., President & CEO
  • Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President
  • Jaime Zerbe, Chief of Staff
  • Will Jones III, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach
  • Brendan Fairfield, Director of External Programs
  • Jordan Davidson, Government Affairs Director
  • Luke Albee, Senior Advisor
  • Crissy Groenewegen, Parent Action Network Director
  • Bronwen Skinner, Parent Action Network Project Coordinator
  • Teresa Haley, Senior Policy Advisor, Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions
  • John Spurlock, Chief Development Officer
  • Sam Munson, Director of Content and Editorial Strategy
  • Nethan Reddy, Communications Associate
  • Iman Lohrasbi, Federal and State Policy Associate

Work and activities

As of December 2025, SAMs website says the following:[1]

“ 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.[7] ”

Their website also lists four key principles:,ref name=Homepage/>

“
  • 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.[7]
 ”

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Smart Approaches to Marijuana
MeasurePositionOutcome
Arizona Proposition 207, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2020)  source OpposeApproved
Florida Amendment 3, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)  source OpposeDefeated
Maryland Question 4, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2022)  source OpposeApproved
Massachusetts Eliminate Recreational Marijuana Sales and Allow Limited Possession Initiative (2026)  source SupportCertified to the legislature
New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020)  source OpposeApproved
Ohio Issue 2, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2023)  source OpposeApproved

Finances

The following is a breakdown of Smart Approaches to Marijuana's revenues and expenses from 2015 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana financial data 2015-2023
YearRevenueExpenses
2015$359,314$3,845
2016$312,453$312,867
2017$504,133$596,150
2018$3.9 million$912,959
2019$1.6 million$992,412
2020$968,750$847,137
2021$2.5 million$994,428
2022$2.9 million$1.1 million
2023$3.4 million$1.4 million

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Smart Approaches to Marijuana, "Homepage," accessed December 8, 2025
  2. ↑ The Libertarian Republic, "LAST STAND: Anti-Marijuana Legalization Forces Raise $300K and Are Looking for More," June 7, 2016
  3. ↑ The Denver Post, "Former R.I. Rep. Patrick Kennedy leads campaign against legal pot," January 5, 2013
  4. ↑ Reuters, "Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy leads campaign against legal pot," January 5, 2013
  5. ↑ Smart Approaches to Marijuana, "Our wins," accessed August 20, 2016
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Smart Approaches to Marijuana,' "About," accessed December 8, 2025
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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