9/19/08 - West Coast Office Seeking Interns: Apply Today

9/15/08 - SSDP Chapters Kick Off 2008 Fall Semester

This month, thousands of SSDP members are returning to campus, ready to educate their communities about the need for drug policy reform and ready to lead campaigns to change policy at the local, state, and federal levels. If you are a student, now is the perfect time to start a chapter of SSDP on your campus.

8/28/08 - SSDP Hires New Outreach Director for Western Region

After a highly competitive hiring process, SSDP has hired Jonathan Perri to join our west coast office as our newest outreach director. Jon founded and led a successful chapter of SSDP at Franklin Pierce University, was elected to SSDP's national board of directors, and recently served as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition's college liason. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.

8/8/08 - SSDP Represents Youth at U.N. Drug Forum

In July, SSDP Executive Director Kris Krane attended "Beyond 2008," a United Nations forum in Vienna, Austria on global drug policy. As the only organization invited to represent youth in the U.S., SSDP ensured that the forum recommendations included a mandate to include young people in the "formation and evaluation of all facets of global drug policy."

7/14/08 - SSDP is Hiring! (position open in DC or San Francisco)

Travel, meet student activists from around the world, and get paid to help end the failed War on Drugs! Due to SSDP's rapid expansion, and we are hiring an additional full-time outreach director to help assist our growing chapter network. We're looking for a skilled communicator who is able to guide new members through the process of building a strong SSDP chapter on campus. Update: This position has been filled.

6/20/08 - SSDP Kicks Off 50-State Good Samaritan Policy Campaign

Good Samaritan Policies save lives. By protecting people from criminal prosecution during overdose emergencies, the policies remove hesitation to call for help. Please join SSDP in writing your state legislator to encourage them to follow New Mexico's lead and enact a statewide Good Samaritan Law. Or find out more about the campaign here.

6/17/08 - RSVP for SSDP's 10th Annual Conference

Ten years ago, a handful of students called themselves "Students for Sensible Drug Policy," sparking what would turn into an international movement with thousands of students at hundreds of chapters. This November 21-23, SSDP will celebrate ten years of activism at the University of Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. RSVP today!

5/21/08 - SSDP Member Killed in Botched Drug Set-Up

On May 7th, 2008, Rachel Hoffman was murdered after being coerced into helping police set up two armed drug dealers. After arresting her for marijuana, police promised Rachel leniency if she became an informant, without notifying her lawyer. Rachel's friends and family are protesting the actions of the police, and have set up a foundation in her honor that would work to stop similar tragedies from happening. Click here to watch a video of the protest and to find out more about the foundation.

5/7/08 - Students and Parents Protest SDSU Drug Sting

On Tuesday, May 6th, the Drug Enforcement Administration swept into San Diego State University and arrested 75 students accused of selling drugs on campus. Within 24 hours, SSDP had organized a demonstration that reframed the issue for nearly all the local and national media outlets covering the story, pointing out the futility of drug prohibition, while calling for the school to enact a life-saving Good Samaritan Policy. Click here to see video and news clippings of the action.

 
4/10/08 - Happy D.A.R.E. Day?

President Bush has declared today "National D.A.R.E. Day," celebrating the 25th anniversary of a drug education program that has been found to be completely ineffective by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Surgeon General, The National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Education.

Heckuva job, D.A.R.E.!

It's no wonder that the D.A.R.E. program has lost much of its federal funding -- lies and scare tactics are not effective educational tools. This week, D.A.R.E. advocates will be raising heaps of money to fill in the gap from the funding they've lost. By making a donation to SSDP , you can help us Just Say Know to counterproductive and dishonest drug education, and get an SSDP t-shirt while you're at it.

3/17/08 - SSDP Appears on American Crossroads

SSDP board member Stacia Cosner appeared on this nationally syndicated program on the War on Drugs, sharing her views about the law that strips financial aid from students with drug convictions. SSDP appears 6 minutes and 45 seconds into the video.

3/13/08 - First Ever Senate Bill on HEA Aid Elimination Penalty Introduced

On March 13, U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) introduced the first ever Senate bill to prevent college students from automatically losing financial aid as a punishment for drug offenses. S.2767 would get rid of the mandatory minimum penalty and allow students with drug convictions to keep aid and stay in school unless a judge specifically ruled they should lose education in addition to other punishments imposed like fines, jail time, or community service.

Although the penalty should be repealed outright, the judicial discretion bill would tremendously reduce its impact by turning it into an opt-in punishment instead of an automatic one. Take action now by spending one minute to edit and send a pre-written letter to your senators!

3/01/08 - SSDP Opens West Coast Field Office

SSDP's field director, Micah Daigle, has relocated to San Francisco, CA, establishing SSDP's first ever satellite field office. This office will allow SSDP to establish a strong presence on the west coast to match the expansive chapter networks in the northeast and midwest areas of the U.S. Help support SSDP's rapid expansion by making a donation today.