Speakers and Events at JUST SAY KNOW

JUST ADDED: Bill Press (MSNBC) & Clarence Page (Chicago Tribune)

Speakers & Events

For too long, our government has had a strict "Just Say No" policy when it comes to drugs. They have just said "No" to scientific research; "No" to public health; "No" to privacy rights; "No" to common sense; and a great big "No" to a safer and more prosperous future. In the past eight years, a chorus of young voices has swelled in opposition to the government's disastrous War on Drugs. Their counter-message has been simple but powerful:

"JUST SAY KNOW!"

This is a preliminary schedule, and is subject to change.

THURSDAY 11/16: Welcome to DC and Monument Walking Tour

For those who arrive on Thursday, a special evening reception will be held at the Drug Policy Alliance's DC office. After drinks, snacks, and mingling, the SSDP DC team will take conference attendees on a scenic walking tour of the city's monuments.

7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Reception at the Drug Policy Alliance D.C. Office
click here for directions

9:00 P.M - 10:30 P.M.
Monument Walking Tour
A three mile long drug policy-themed walking tour that includes stops at the White House, as well as the Vietnam War, Korean War, World War II and Lincoln memorials. Led by Tyler Smith of the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative (former chairman of the SSDP Board of Directors).

FRIDAY 11/17: DARE Generation Congressional Lobby Day

Friday morning, hundreds of SSDP activists will convene for a training on effective lobbying, and then walk to Capitol Hill to demand reform. After a full day of meeting with lawmakers and congressional staffers, SSDPers will caucus with colleagues from their region, to discuss regional strategies and events.

10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Lobbying Training Session and Role-Playing
This session will take place at the Phoenix Park Hotel, at 520 N. Capitol St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001
Aaron Houston, Marijuana Policy Project
Alberto Mendoza, Drug Policy Alliance
Paul Armentano, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Bill Piper, Drug Policy Alliance
Andrew Kessler

12:00 PM – Late Afternoon
Lobbying Meetings on Capitol Hill

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
SSDP Regional Caucuses

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
SSDP Congress

SATURDAY 11/18: Drug War Education Day

On Saturday, conference attendees will learn about the state of current drug policy, and openly discuss ideas for more sensible drug policies.

9:30 AM – 9:40 AM
Welcome
Kris Krane, SSDP Executive Director

9:40 AM – 11:10 AM
Opening Plenary - Drug War Boot Camp: Students As Foot Soldiers in the War Against the War On Drugs
Rob Kampia, Marijuana Policy Project
Ethan Nadelmann, Drug Policy Alliance
Steph Sherer, Americans for Safe Access
Allen St. Pierre, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Moderator: Kris Krane, SSDP Executive Director

11:20 AM – 12:30 PM
Breakout 1 - Higher Potency: Not Your Parent’s Marijuana Policy Reform
Paul Armentano, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Steve Fox, Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation
Rob Kampia, Marijuana Policy Project
Caren Woodson, Americans for Safe Access
Moderator: Amber Langston, SSDP Board of Directors

Breakout 2 - Drinking the Kool Aid: Psychedelic Research and Reform
Richard Doblin, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
Richard Wolfe, Board Member: Heffter Research Institute & NORML
Moderator: Matt Atwood, SSDP Alumni

Breakout 3 - Bearing the Brunt: Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs
Matthew Fogg, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Naomi Long, Drug Policy Alliance
Alberto Mendoza, Drug Policy Alliance
Moderator: Jennifer Janichek, SSDP Board of Directors

12:40 PM – 1:30 PM
Mid-Day Plenary - Watchdogs or Lapdogs? Media Coverage of the War on Drugs
Bill Press, MSNBC
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune
Moderator: Ryan Grim, Captiol Leader & Slate.com

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:10 PM
Breakout 1 - Restoring Education: The Fight To Repeal the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty
David Guard, Drug Reform Coordination Network
Andrew Kessler, NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals
Kraig Selken, HEA Lawsuit Plaintiff
Adam Wolf, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project
Moderator: Marisa Garcia, SSDP Board of Directors

Breakout 2 - Refusing to be Victimized: Fighting Back Against Drug War Attacks
Betsy Atkinson, Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Cliff Thornton, Efficacy
Daniel Williams, Citizens Against Prohibition
Moderator: Jenny Loeb, SSDP Board of Directors

Breakout 3 - International Affairs: Drug Policy on a Global Scale
Mark Kleiman, Director, Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA
Peter Reuter, Professor, Dept of Public Policy at the University of Maryland
Phillip Smith, Drug Reform Coordination Network
Sanho Tree, Institute for Policy Studies
Moderator: Conor Lynch, Canada SSDP

3:15 PM – 4:25 PM
Breakout 1 - Tipping the Scales: Changing Drug Policy Through Litigation
Alexis Baden-Meyer, Vote Hemp
Randy Barnett, Georgetown University Law Center
Adam Wolf, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project
Moderator: Alex Kreit, SSDP Alumni

Breakout 2 - Al Capone to Al Qaeda: Prohibition, Dirty Money, and the Black Market
Mike Gray, Common Sense for Drug Policy
Arnold Trebach, Author: Fatal Distraction: The War on Drugs in the Age of Islamic Terror
Howard Wooldridge, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Moderator: George Pappas, Chair, SSDP Board of Directors

Breakout 3 - Perverting Privacy: Police Raids, Pee Cups, and Pat Downs
Radley Balko, Reason Magazine
Jeanne Barr, Francis W. Parker High School
Graham Boyd, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project
Jennifer Kern, Drug Policy Alliance
Moderator: Daniel Bear, SSDP Board of Directors

4:25 PM – 4:40 PM
Break

4:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Keynote Address - Tales from the Trenches: A Defense Lawyer’s Look at the Drug War's Consequences
Billy Murphy, The Murphy Firm

5:00 PM – 6:15 PM
Closing Plenary - Beyond Prohibition: What Does Sensible Drug Policy Look Like?
Nick Gillespie, Reason Magazine
Rachel Kurtz, King County Bar Association
Marsha Rosenbaum, Drug Policy Alliance
Eric Sterling, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation
Moderator: Shawn Heller, SSDP Board of Directors

6:15 PM – 7:00 PM
SSDP Congress (board candidate platforms)

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Awards Reception
Opening address by Kevin Zeese, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Sunday, November 19: Student Activist Training Day

Sunday will host a full day of hands-on training workshops, to ensure that SSDP's activist base is not just knowledgable about drug policy, but fully prepared to change drug policy as well.

10:00 AM – 11:10 AM
Opening Plenary - Reform Begins at Home: Campus Change Campaign
Micah Daigle, SSDP Field Director
Student Speakers TBA

11:20 AM – 12:30 PM
Workshop 1 - Passing the Torch: Effective Leadership Transition
Brown University SSDP Leaders, Past & Present:
Benjamin Kintisch
Nathaniel Lepp
Daniel Maccombie
Kai Morrison
Juliana Soic
Jesse Stout
Trevor Stutz

Workshop 2 - Got a Minute? Concise, Effective Arguments for Reform
David Guard, Drug Reform Coordination Network
Pete Guither, Drug War Rant
Doug McVay, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Workshop 3 - Building Bridges: Forming Coalitions on Campus
Troy Dayton, Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative
Ariel Werner, Brown University SSDP & RI Right to Vote Campaign

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
Lunch

1:15 PM – 2:25 PM
Workshop 1 - Getting Ink and Airtime: Basic Media Training
Tom Angell, SSDP Campaigns Director

Workshop 2 - Developing Media Strategies: Advanced Media Training
Terry Michael, Former Democratic National Committee Press Secretary

Workshop 3 - Represent! Working with Student Government
Christina Kimball, University of Central Florida SSDP
Additional Speakers TBA

2:30 PM – 3:40 PM
Workshop 1 - Taking it to the Streets: Non-Violent Direct Action
Nadine Bloch, Code Pink & Ruckus Society

Workshop 2 - Protestivals: Fun and Effective Political Rallies
Dominic Holden, Seattle Hempfest/SSDP Board of Directors
Rob Robinson, New York NORML

Workshop 3 - Practice What You Preach: Providing Harm Reduction Services on Campus
Eric Rumi, Canada SSDP
Scarlett Swerdlow, Former SSDP Executive Director

3:40 PM – 4:00 PM
Break

4:00 PM – 5:10 PM
Workshop 1 - Creating Change Through Creativity: Art and Activism
Conscious Alliance
Climbing Poetree

Workshop 2 - Making Bank: Fundraising Tactics
Troy Dayton, Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative
Christina Kimball, University of Central Florida SSDP

Workshop 3 - What’s Next? Life After SSDP
Kris Lotlikar, Founding National Director, SSDP

5:30 PM
Conference Wrap-Up & Farewell

If you have any further questions about speakers & events at the conference,
please contact Micah Daigle at (202) 293-4414 or micah@ssdp.org