On January 13, SSDP, 7-HOPE Alliance, and other coalition members gathered in Sacramento for a focused Lobby Day to oppose the criminalization of kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). The proposal was being fast-tracked through the legislature, leaving little time for meaningful review or public input — which is exactly why we ...

Pictured: Eric Jansen, SSDP ambassador who participated in a recent lobby day in Sacramento opposing 7-OH criminalization. Below is his testimony about the issue: "It’s 2026, and somehow we are still having the same tired conversation. Lawmakers keep introducing fear-based, science-less bills that treat plants like the enemy, while ignoring ...

We’re looking for new Appointed and Elected members of our Board of Directors. At Students for Sensible Drug Policy, we don’t just talk about empowering young people — we build our organization around it. SSDP is governed by a Board of Directors made up of both current students and youth ...

Rethinking Nicotine: Science, Harm Reduction, and Sensible Policy is a one-day conference hosted by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) in Pittsburgh that challenges the extension of the War on Drugs into nicotine policy. While framed as public health protection, punitive and prohibitionist approaches to nicotine reflect the same drug ...

We urgently need your help! AB 1088 in California is being fast-tracked and could move within days. The bill would effectively criminalize kratom products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — cutting off access for consumers and creating new criminal penalties. SSDP showed up strong at the January 13 Senate Public Safety Committee ...

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has argued that two important research chemicals, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC), should be classified as Schedule I, but how common are these compounds outside of the lab? A new epidemiological review authored by Joseph Palamar, PhD* (NYU Grossman School of Medicine) and Nicole Fitzgerald, ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Gina Giorgio Director of Strategy and Development Students for Sensible Drug Policy gina@ssdp.org BREAKING: Scientists and Policy Experts Barred From “Good Drug Policy Summit” in Washington, D.C. Every SSDP member who purchased a ticket to attend the 2026 SAM Good Drug Policy Summit — including ...

Today Filter Magazine published an article discussing the DEA's announcement to place 2-fluorodeschloroketamine (2-FDCK)—a structural analog of the anesthetic and antidepressant ketamine—into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, effectively banning it. Kat Murti, SSDP's Executive Director, was quoted in the article. Kat Murti, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), ...

Attorney General Pam Bondi has missed a congressionally mandated deadline scheduled for January 16th to issue guidelines for easing barriers to research on Schedule I substances such as marijuana and psychedelics. Marijuana Moment covered the news featuring SSDP's Executive Director's take on the issue. “This failure to act leaves researchers, institutions ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Gina Giorgio Director of Strategy and Development Students for Sensible Drug Policy gina@ssdp.org BREAKING: U.S. Attorney General Misses Legal Deadline to Issue HALT Fentanyl Research Guidelines Failure to act delays research, exacerbates “research harm,” and undermines Congressional intent, says Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), ...

SSDP is traveling to sunny St. Petersburg, FL January 26 - 29th as a cosponsor of the 4th annual Florida Harm Reduction Collective Conference, and we hope to see members of our SSDP community in attendance. Kat Murti, SSDP's Executive Director, will be giving giving on talk entitled, “Storytelling With ...

Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is governed by a Board of Directors, which is composed of both current student and youth Elected Directors, who are active chapter members elected by our membership, and Appointed Directors, who are appointed by ...

SSDP was one of the first youth-led drug policy organizations to seek Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2011, giving us the opportunity to make sure the youth voice is heard when the UN is making crucial international drug policy decisions.Please submit this ...

We urgently need your help! A newly introduced bill in California, SB 758, is being fast-tracked and could move within days. If passed, it would classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I substance, cutting off research, criminalizing people overnight, and repeating the very harms California has worked to undo. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) strongly ...

In California, Bill SB 758 proposes to classify 6-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in kratom, as a Schedule I substance. A Schedule I classification would prevent vital research into the safety, dosage, and therapeutic potential of 7-OH. Students for Sensible Drug Policy opposes this bill because ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kat Murti Executive Director Students for Sensible Drug Policy kat@ssdp.org SSDP Condemns Trump Administration Capture of Venezuelan President On January 3rd, President Trump and the U.S. government conducted strikes on Venezuela and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine ...

In 2025, SSDP turned momentum into meaningful impact across every level of drug policy reform. From hosting and participating in powerful events that convened students, advocates, and policymakers, to mobilizing young leaders for lobby days that brought student voices directly to statehouses and decision-makers, our movement showed up where it ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gina Giorgio Director of Strategy and Development Students for Sensible Drug Policy gina@ssdp.org Cannabis Unity Coalition Responds to President Trump's Decision to Reschedule Cannabis, Calls on Congress to Deliver Real Reform Convened by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the Cannabis Unity Coalition is the nation's ...

Greenway Magazine featured Kat Murti in their article today after President Trump announced that he has signed an Executive Order directing the federal government to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Criminal justice and public health advocates acknowledged progress while underscoring unresolved issues ...

President Trump signed an Executive Order today federally rescheduling cannabis. This directive will begin the transferring of the plant from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).  Cannabis rescheduling is a step forward, but not justice. At SSDP, we’re fighting for full federal legalization and real ...