[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-article-cannabis-safety-awards-launch-to-reframe-safety-as-a-legalization-strength-44724cb1":3},{"data":4},{"_id":5,"slug":6,"articleType":7,"body":8,"createdAt":15,"dek":16,"entities":17,"headline":26,"imageAlt":27,"imageUrl":28,"keyFacts":29,"language":46,"publishedAt":47,"seo":48,"sources":51,"summary":59,"updatedAt":60},"6aa171605457399f4e5dcfad","cannabis-safety-awards-launch-to-reframe-safety-as-a-legalization-strength-44724cb1","other",[9,10,11,12,13,14],"Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has launched the first Cannabis Safety Awards, an initiative designed to spotlight people, programs, products, and innovations that address legitimate cannabis safety concerns. Nominations are open through September 10, 2026, across 18 categories, according to the organization.","The awards arrive amid what ASA founder Steph Sherer describes as an organized political backlash against cannabis access. Opposition campaigns are increasingly using public anxiety around impaired driving, contaminated products, emergency visits, and accidental exposures to argue for broader restrictions or a return to prohibition.","Sherer argues that the cannabis movement has historically advanced by addressing public concerns, citing product-safety standards, improved patient education, and successful efforts to force the Drug Enforcement Administration to remove unsupported assertions from its materials. She contends that acknowledging problems like confusing labels, contaminants, and youth access is not a concession to prohibition but a way to protect the future of cannabis access.","The op-ed points to the 2024 National Academies report, Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity, which documented mounting concerns including accidental ingestion, impaired-driving crashes, secondhand smoke, and environmental impacts. Sherer says these concerns are no longer a fringe messaging problem but the foundation of a well-funded opposition movement.","The Cannabis Safety Awards are intended to make visible the work of researchers expanding the evidence base, patient advocates identifying policy failures, and companies developing safer storage, better dosing, clearer labeling, and tools for responding to THC overconsumption. ASA says recognition can help good ideas travel, encourage companies to compete on safety, and show policymakers that the cannabis community can confront difficult issues.","Sherer frames safety as a competitive advantage for the next stage of cannabis market development, arguing that companies investing in transparency, testing, quality, and consumer education are building the infrastructure a mature marketplace and healthcare integration will require.","2026-09-09T14:46:56.812Z","Americans for Safe Access opens nominations for the first Cannabis Safety Awards, arguing that confronting product and public health concerns is essential to protecting legal access.",{"brands":18,"products":19,"markets":20,"organizations":22},[],[],[21],"US",[23,24,25],"Americans for Safe Access","Drug Enforcement Administration","National Academies","Cannabis Safety Awards Launch to Reframe Safety as a Legalization Strength","Americans for Safe Access founder Steph Sherer announces the first Cannabis Safety Awards to highlight solutions to cannabis safety concerns.","",[30,34,37,40,43],{"claim":31,"sourceUrl":32,"_id":33},"Americans for Safe Access created the first Cannabis Safety Awards, with nominations open through September 10, 2026, across 18 categories.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marijuanamoment.net\u002Faddressing-cannabis-safety-issues-is-a-strength-not-a-weakness-for-the-legalization-movement-op-ed\u002F","6aa17160723e26a876e0b223",{"claim":35,"sourceUrl":32,"_id":36},"Steph Sherer is the founder of Americans for Safe Access and authored the op-ed announcing the awards.","6aa17160723e26a876e0b224",{"claim":38,"sourceUrl":32,"_id":39},"The 2024 National Academies report Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity documented concerns including accidental ingestion, impaired-driving crashes, secondhand smoke, and environmental impacts.","6aa17160723e26a876e0b225",{"claim":41,"sourceUrl":32,"_id":42},"Opposition campaigns are using public anxiety around impaired driving, contaminated products, emergency visits, and accidental exposures to argue for broader restrictions or a return to prohibition.","6aa17160723e26a876e0b226",{"claim":44,"sourceUrl":32,"_id":45},"The awards aim to highlight solutions including safer storage, better dosing and measurement, clearer testing and labeling information, and tools for responding to THC overconsumption.","6aa17160723e26a876e0b227","en","2026-09-09T14:46:58.308Z",{"title":49,"description":50},"Cannabis Safety Awards Launch to Reframe Legalization Debate","Americans for Safe Access opens nominations for the first Cannabis Safety Awards, highlighting solutions to contamination, dosing, and impaired driving concerns.",[52,56],{"name":53,"url":32,"trustTier":54,"_id":55},"Marijuana Moment","trade","6aa17160723e26a876e0b222",{"name":23,"url":57,"trustTier":58},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.safeaccessnow.org\u002Fnominations_close_september_10_for_2026_cannabis_safety_awards","official","Americans for Safe Access has created the first Cannabis Safety Awards, with nominations open through September 10, 2026. The initiative aims to highlight researchers, companies, and advocates who are solving cannabis safety problems such as contamination, inconsistent dosing, and impaired driving, positioning safety as a competitive advantage rather than a concession to prohibition.","2026-09-09T15:41:02.993Z"]