This was a really important conversation that I was honored to have with Luke. Marijuana legalization has been a hot button issue in many states. Luke and the Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Organization have been at the forefront to provide research and information to communities and states to provide valuable guidance in the decision making process. Marijuana policy will have direct effects on communities and schools so this is such an important topic for educators to think about now, rather than down the line when bad choices have been made.A little bit about Luke in his own words: Luke Niforatos is the Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor at SAM, presiding over strategic federal, state, and educational initiatives. Prior to SAM, he spent his career working in nonprofit community healthcare. Luke also founded two digital health companies. Having lived in Colorado during legalization, he, his wife, and daughter have seen firsthand the disastrous effects of lax marijuana policies. This experience inspired Luke to work and speak across the country for a smart marijuana policy free of commercialization and normalization. Luke graduated from the University of Denver.Questions I asked Luke:1. Luke can you tell me a little about SAM? Its major goals and long term focus?ans. 3:252. Tell me about your journey towards becoming part of SAM?ans. 6:443. I would like to focus a little bit on Marijuana and its effects on younger users and learners especially teens. Can you give an overview of some of the key research findings along the lines of youth and Marijuana use?ans. 12:004. As you can imagine I follow educational blogs pretty regularly. While I see many articles and posts about Vaping and Meth issues, the silence on Marijuana Legalization is quite astounding. Do you think that is true in your experience? And why is there such silence on this issue in Education circles where it was once on the front lines.?ans. 16:555. Marijuana legalization advocates seem to be very well organized and aggressive towards anyone who disagrees with them. I’ve personally experienced this on Twitter for complimenting Alex Berenson’s work. How do you respectfully deal with the often insulting and derogatory reactions you get?ans. 21:07Speed Geek Questions for Luke:1. What's your Whimsy?2 Favorite Blogs?3. Favorite App?