Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) officials said the organization supports President Joe Biden’s recently released budget rejecting varied methods of marijuana commercialization.
“The budget does not extend protections for states violating federal laws around marijuana, nor does it give Washington, DC the authority to legalize, something many thought would happen because of the overall Democratic priority for DC autonomy in policy matters generally,” SAM President and former Obama Administration Senior Advisor Kevin Sabet said. “We applaud President Biden, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. (Rahul) Gupta, and all of the administration officials who pushed out the pot lobbyist influence.”
Saber said the budget does not extend Justice Department protections to legal marijuana states and does not give the District of Columbia latitude to legalize marijuana sales outright – but allocates significant funds toward dismantling marijuana traffickers on public lands.
“The Administration should also be applauded for reasserting its commitment to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a vital component in the Executive Office of the President,” Sabet said. “Through ONDCP’s leadership, prevention dollars are going up higher than ever before, and the Administration has dedicated itself to a balanced drug policy of supply and demand reduction. Though we are still calling for ONDCP’s re-elevation to cabinet status, these are all good signs.”
SAM officials said the budget earmarks more money for drug prevention, representing a 37 percent rise from 2022.