Fentanyl Is a Crisis—But So Is the Misinformation Coming From "Dr. Kevin Sabet" Dr. Kevin Sabet—who holds a doctorate in public policy, not medicine—has made a career out of trafficking in fear, distortion, and contradiction. His latest call to elevate the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) correctly identifies fentanyl as a crisis. But what he leaves out—yet again—is more telling than what he says. He says nothing about the booming market of unregulated, intoxicating hemp-derived synthetics now sold legally in corner stores across America, directly to kids, under the very loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill. That silence isn’t accidental—it’s strategic. Sabet’s political playbook depends on conflating regulated cannabis with the illicit drug trade, deliberately obscuring the real threats so he can keep fighting the same old war, long after public opinion and scientific consensus have moved on. Prohibitionist Misinformation Is His Business Model Let’s not pretend Sabet is a neutral public health advocate. He runs a prohibitionist advocacy group funded by dark money and lives off government grants and scare campaigns. He talks about shrinking government, but his entire career has been about expanding it—through punitive drug policy, bloated enforcement budgets, and moral panic. He’s never built a business. He’s never created jobs. He’s never generated taxable revenue. He doesn’t support an age-gated, tested, regulated, and controlled supply of cannabis—even as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published 253 pages supporting its medical benefits and low addiction potential. And yet he positions himself as a credible voice on cannabis, even as licensed, tax-paying operators in 24 legal states create thousands of jobs and drive billions in economic activity. The irony is this: the very “Dismantle the Administrative State” crowd that Sabet panders to should be outraged. His parasitic existence, built on federal funds and fear-mongering, is exactly the kind of bloated, unelected policymaking that initiatives like DOGE claim they want to eliminate. So why give him a bigger megaphone now? The Real Threat: Synthetic Intoxicants Masquerading as Hemp While Sabet rails against cannabis reform, gas stations and vape shops across the country are selling high-potency, synthetic THC products like Delta-8 and HHC—often without ID checks, lab testing, or age restrictions. These aren’t regulated marijuana products. They’re lab-created drugs exploiting a legal loophole that neither the Trump nor Biden administrations have had the political will to close. Where is Sabet’s outrage? Where is his demand for enforcement? Where is his campaign to inform parents about this real-time threat? What Serious Drug Policy Requires If ONDCP is to be relevant again, it needs to focus on today’s drug landscape—not 1990s talking points. That means: Closing the 2018 Farm Bill loophole that enables intoxicating synthetic THC to be sold unchecked. Rescheduling cannabis federally, allowing regulation by potency and form—just like alcohol. Protecting legal, licensed cannabis operators from being undercut by illicit and quasi-legal sellers. Targeting real bad actors, including those trafficking synthetic THC under the false banner of “hemp.” Defunding fear-based policy entrepreneurship and redirecting resources toward data-driven prevention and enforcement. Dr. Sabet has spent his entire career standing in the way of drug policy evolution while pretending to speak for public health. It’s time the public—and policymakers—recognized the con. If we want to solve the fentanyl crisis and build a smarter, safer regulatory framework, we need leaders focused on facts, not fear. And we need to stop listening to people who make a living off prohibition.