SSDP’s Top Southern Highlights: Reasons to Support our Work
Reason 1
SSDP students are actively pushing policy in the South! Thanks to the hard work of SSDPer at UGA Athens Georgia passes Georgia’s most comprehensive decriminalization ordinance! https://hightimes.com/news/athens-georgia-on-cusp-of-major-decriminalization-ordinance/
(Picture 1. Athens Georgia City Hall. June, 2022 – SSDP National Board Vice Chair – Raiden Washington. Georgia State SSDP Chair – Hunter Knight. SSDP Outreach Director – Jeremy Sharp. SSDP at UGA Law School Chapter Member – Laura St. Martin) Reason 2: Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman (district 5) agrees to sponsor a statewide decrim bill and a statewide legalization bill. SSDPers Raiden Washington and Hunter Knight have been busy meeting with bill sponsors, and plan on being on the front lines of the Georgia State Assembly this upcoming session pushing sensible cannabis policy. Reason 3: NC State Rep Jon Autry (District 100) Agrees to sponsor a bill authored by SSDPers. The bill would create a joint committee to study psychedelic assisted therapies. Gina Giorgio, SSDP’s Psychedelic Pipeline Intern, and Jeremy Sharp have designed a resolution which creates a Special Committee that will be designated to study psychedelic medicine: 
(Picture 2: NC Assembly March, 2022- SSDP’s Psychedelic Policy Intern Gina Giorgio and Outreach Director Jeremy Sharp)
Reason 4: University of South Florida SSDP Chapter meets with Congressman Cathy Castor to discuss releasing all federal cannabis prisoners.
(Picture 3 – Chapter Leaders From University of South Florida meet with U.S. Representative Kathy Castor asking for support for SSDP’s Keep Biden Accountable Campaign) Reason 5: SSDP’s Florida Chapters Volunteer at Tipper Festival SSDPers from The University of Florida and the University of Southern Florida had an epic time volunteering with Dansafe and Harmonia at the Suwannee Music Festival (FLA) for Tipper festival. 
(Picture 3: SSDP Provides Harm Reduction Services at Tipper: Taryn Gilgallon, Meredith Giangaspro, Alexia Obrochta, Jeremy Sharp, Henna Malik, Ilah Davis, Michael Mirecki)
Reason 6: Chapters are building Community and sharing sensible information about substance use and policy.- FSU hosts several “sensible socials” raising tens of thousands of dollars.
- Additionally, the chapter was featured in the local paper for their work around harm reduction: https://www.fsunews.com/story/news/2022/10/17/naloxone-distribution-begins-across-florida/10522655002/
(Picture 4: Julia Patti, SSDP Chapter President of Florida State University and crew volunteering on campus)
(Picture 5 – Florida State SSDP Exec Board in action building sensible communities)
Reason 7: SSDP brings Harm Reduction to Southern Universities:
(Picture 7: University of Alabama Naloxone Training and Harm Reduction Talk)
(Picture 8: University of Florida Naloxone Training. October, 2022)
(Picture 9 – UGA Law School Chapter at the Pillars of Wisdom. Athens GA, Ocotober 2022)
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