Chris Price

ATLANTA, GA -- National leaders and elected officials gathered at a Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) summit on Thursday to coordinate opposition to marijuana legalization across the country.

It was done with respect to April 20, which is unofficially considered "national weed day."

The large group of drug policy leaders, public health experts and elected officials held the day-long conference in Atlanta. It featured keynote speakers such as Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Former Clinton Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey.

"So far, 2017 has been a bad year for the pro-marijuana special interests looking to profit off the next big addictive industry," said SAM President and CEO Kevin A. Sabet.

"More states are realizing that marijuana legalization produces more costs than benefits, so this momentum gives our summit new significance as we look to energize our base and move the needle toward evidence-based marijuana policy that puts people over profit."

SAM advocates for "common-sense laws that protect American families and communities from the social and health consequences of marijuana legalization."

According to organization, the average potency of marijuana has skyrocketed in past decades. It's considered addictive and harmful to the human brain, and that there's already been an increase in drug-induced car accidents. (It also says that states with legalized marijuana continue to see a thriving black market and are experiencing a continued rise in alcohol sales.)

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a nonpartisan, non-profit group of physicians, policy makers, prevention workers, treatment and recovery professionals, scientists, and citizens opposed to marijuana legalization who say they want health and scientific evidence to guide marijuana policies.

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