“I’m here because I know there’s going to be real change. Our voices are being echoed. And from this day forward, they’re going to know that the drug war is going to be eradicated by us.”

“In 1998, I was just starting to wake up to the horrors of the war on drugs. A psychology undergrad at the University of Illinois, Chicago, I had just learned about the provision in the higher education act that prohibited people with drug offenses from obtaining money for college. This seemed so unnecessary and outrageous, but I feared that coming out in favor of changing drug policies would stigmatize me. I didn’t know that others felt this way about these morally-driven policies. Then I heard about a new organization, SSDP, and their first national conference. I attended, and it changed my life. I knew I was not alone and that my outrage was shared by other intelligent, motivated people. It was the start of a community that became a movement and is now a force. SSDP is the breeding ground for agents of social change.”

“Upon leaving the service and concluding my short military career, I wanted to be part of an organization that was serious about tackling the failed war on drugs, and one that wasn’t afraid to get their boots dirty.”

“SSDP has given me the tools and opportunities to fight back and advocate for my clients on a grander scale. My SSDP family has inspired me toward a harm reduction approach to treating mental health and substance use disorders. Most significantly, SSDP has given me the chance to live out my dream of developing a science and harm reduction-based drug education curriculum.”

“As a college freshman, SSDP introduced me to the drug policy reform movement, where I found a purpose and my calling. Ten years ago, I put the ideals and principles of SSDP into action with a career in the legal cannabis industry. I stand alongside other SSDP alum at the forefront of social entrepreneurship, and owe so much to SSDP for helping me and this immensely fulfilling path.”

“Soy líder de EPSD en México porque quiero cambiar las políticas de mi país, y quiero que la situación de los jóvenes cambie. Los jóvenes en México hemos sido los más afectado por la guerra contra las drogas, la primera causa de muerte en jóvenes es homicidio y se tiene registro que uno de cada cuatro muertos en el sexenio de Felipe Calderón era joven de entre 15 a 29 años. Tu apoyo nos hace seguir adelante con nuestro sueño de cambiar nuestro país.”

“It’s been nothing but a pure joy watching SSDP grow into such an influential and effective organization since we started the first chapter at RIT back in 1998. Students for Sensible Drug Policy has had an enormously positive impact on not only my life but also on the thousands of alumni who have built it into what it is today, to say nothing of the millions of people who have benefited from the sensible drug policy changes brought about by SSDP’s work. I couldn’t be more proud.”

“’What about the children?’ is a question often asked during conversations about drug policy reform, but rarely answered by the ‘children’ themselves. My involvement with SSDP has allowed me to represent the youth voice in drug policy debates at the state, national, and international levels, ensuring that the very policies meant to protect us do not end up harming us instead.”

“I found out about SSDP just last year, and I helped set up the first chapter in Dublin. In this short time, we have hosted respected international speakers at the annual SSDP Ireland conference and ran a successful ‘Support Don’t Punish’ campaign where we got the government minister for drug strategy to publicly support decriminalization of drugs. We are now preparing an invited document for submission to the Irish Parliament on decriminalization. SSDP in Ireland has really taken off in the past year. I am so proud to be a part of this movement and am very excited for the future!”

“It’s imperative that African Americans build power in the realm of drug policy. African Americans are among the most at risk for mass incarceration because drug sentencing laws are designed oblivious to their impact on our communities or, worse, with malicious intent. SSDP has given me precious connections and resources to challenge mass incarceration from many angles.”