Atlanta Noon Thu April 5: Fmr White House Drug Spokesman Bob Weiner To Challenge Legalizers' Premise "Drug War Failed" And Marijuana "Harmless" At "SAM" Summit At RX Summit

ATLANTA, April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former Clinton and Bush White House National Drug Policy Spokesman Robert Weiner will speak at the "SAM" (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) Summit at the RX and Heroin Drug Abuse Summit in Atlanta Thursday, April 5 at Noon-12:30 and will "challenge the legalization movement, with passage in 30 states, and their "premises that the drug war has failed and marijuana is harmless." Weiner was also spokesman for the U.S. House Select Committee on Narcotics and the House Government Operations Committee.

Weiner will present national data to show that "overall drug use is down by half by a comprehensive strategy and now we need to reduce it more, especially opioids."  Weiner will also contend that data from states which recently legalized show that marijuana legalization "increases car crashes, hospital emergency room cases, drug deaths, other drug usage, and addiction."

Weiner said he will "contradict media norms alleging drug war failure just because it is cool for ratings," and will slam state legalization movements and most in his own Democratic Party for "pandering to legalizers, especially the young on this issue, as a voting base despite factual scientific data."  

MEDIA ARE INVITED FOR THIS INTRIGUING "OTHER SIDE" PRESENTATION at noon and follow-on press availability at 12:30.

Other SAM speakers run from 9-5:30, with press availabilities throughout, all in the Hyatt Regency International South Room.

Weiner congratulated SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a White House Drug Policy Office colleague, "for doing the impossible: creating the most credible and respected organization in the country to counter the popular and media favored myth that legalizing marijuana – medical and recreational—is the answer to the nation's and all the states' drug problems."

SAM SUMMIT speakers are:

WHO: 

Kevin A. Sabet, President, SAM
Aubree Adams, a parent whose family has been harmed by marijuana
Darryl Rodgers, a parent who has lost a child as a result of marijuana
Ben Cort, a Colorado-based leader in the field of substance abuse recovery
Mervyn Jones, Director, State and Local Government Affairs, SAM
Luke Niforatos, Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor, SAM
Roneet Lev, MD, Chief, Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego
Julie Schauer, Founder, Parents Opposed to Pot
Sally Schindel, Activist, Momsstrong.org
Dana Stevens, Executive Director, Community Action, Service & Advocacy
Jeffrey Veatch, Activist 
Robert Weiner, Former Spokesman, White House National Drug Control Policy Office and U.S. House Select Committee on Narcotics

CONTACT: Bob Weiner/Ben Lasky 301-283-0821/cell 202-306-1200 [email protected]

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change