gina vensel
SSDP’s Sensible Soirée to Kick-off Reform Week in Detroit on November 12
SSDP is gathering together in Detroit, MI next week for Drug Policy Alliance’s Reform Conference. Our staff, board members, chapter leaders, and ambassadors from coast to coast will be attending the conference, hosting an overdose prevention workshop, and leading panel discussions. We’re hosting a welcome party on Wednesday, November 12 and all are invited to attend! You do not need
SSDP’s Hosts Lobby Days in Pennsylvania to Legalize Cannabis
SSDP’s PA Cannabis Day of Unity brought together a bipartisan coalition in support of legalizing cannabis for adult use in Pennsylvania. On Monday, October 27, SSDP hosted a booth in the Main Rotunda of the State Capitol, and dropped off literature to the PA House & Senate in support of cannabis legalization. The following morning on Tuesday, October 28, SSDP
SSDP Hangouts Presents Spooky Policies
Join us on Thursday, October 30th at 7pm ET to discuss the spookiest side of policy, the ones in desperate need of reform! Come hang out with other SSDP folks, give and get advice for a successful semester, and meet our national board members. This event is open to the entire SSDP family: affiliates, alumni, members, chapter leaders, and more. If you’re no longer
California’s Campus Overdose Prevention Act is signed into law
We are excited to share that California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 602, the Campus Overdose Prevention Act, into law. The bill protects students from receiving disciplinary action when they call for assistance or are victims of an overdose-related incident. Current campus policies leave students vulnerable to suspension for saving lives and discourage help-seeking behaviors, perpetuate stigma, and increase
Call for Abstracts and Posters for the 4th Annual Florida Harm Reduction Conference
SSDP is proud to be a co-sponsor for the 4th Annual Florida Harm Reduction Conference taking place at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront from January 26-29, 2026. The call for abstracts and posters are now open. We invite submissions that advance harm reduction practice, research, policy, and community empowerment, especially those centering marginalized, under-resourced, or historically excluded populations. The theme
A Policy Statement on Cannabis Rescheduling in The Pharmacologist
SSDP Ambassador and former chair of SSDP’s Science Policy Committee, Elijah Ullman, PhD, co-authored the Cover Story of the August edition of The Pharmacologist focused on Cannabis Rescheduling as part of the ASPET (American Society forPharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics) Drug Research Policy Subcommittee. The policy statement discusses how drug scheduling can also create a regulatory burden that negatively impacts research,
SSDP Hangouts return with a Back to School Happy Hour on Sept 25 at 7 PM
Join the SSDP’s Chapter Networking Collective for our next virtual hangout on Thursday, September 25th at 7:00 PM ET on zoom. Come hang out with your SSDP family, give and get advice for a successful semester, and let SSDP national leaders know how they can support you. Visit this Zoom Link to join. All are welcome to attend.
Law & Justice Committee Convenes on October 1
SSDP’s Law & Justice Committee will be hosting a meeting on Wednesday, October 1st at 12:00 PM PT, 3:00 PM ET. We invite all attorneys, law students, pre-law track undergraduates, and other subject matter experts to join. Anyone in the SSDP community that feels called to join may apply. The committee will meet every six weeks. Please complete the Law &
Oaksterdam enrolls live cannabis & hemp training programs starting mid-September
Our educational partners at Oaksterdam University will host three amazing live training programs starting mid-September that may interest you in getting future-ready. Oaksterdam University is the global leader in cannabis education, providing the highest quality training to entrepreneurs, regulators, educators, and people interested in a career in the cannabis industry. These programs combine real-time Zoom classes with nationally recognized experts with
Reps. Nadler, Titus, Omar, and Velázquez Reintroduce Comprehensive Marijuana Reform Legislation
Today, August 29th 2025, Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), along with Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (NV-01) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills ever introduced in the U.S. Congress. In a press release on Congressman Nadler’s
Illinois weighs psychedelic-assisted therapy in landmark CURE Act – Chicago Health
Chicago Health reports that the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens (CURE) Act is the first major effort to legalize clinical use of psilocybin in the state of Illinois. The legislation would establish a licensing system and advisory board to allow qualified practitioners to administer psilocybin for mental health treatment. While the bill has steadily gained support among lawmakers, deeply entrenched stigma
Evidence and Science-Based Approaches in Drug Policy – United Nations
Written by Jackson Rund, Lake Superior State University SSDP In July, I joined two fellow SSDP representatives, Zach Johnson from Fordham University and the New York Community Chapter, and Jorge Valderrabano from the New York Community Chapter at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Together, we formed part of SSDP’s
Pennsylvania Cannabis Legalization: A Bipartisan Bill for Adult Use
We are excited to announce a bipartisan cannabis legalization bill that SSDP is supporting in Pennsylvania! This is the best chance for a unified approach to get adult use passed in PA, and we need your help. Please read more to learn how you can join us in the fight for legalization. WHAT IS THE BILL? PA SB120 is “An Act
From Arrest to Advocacy: Jason Ortiz’s Mission to End Cannabis Injustice – Stupid Dope
We are delighted to see former SSDP Executive Director, Jason Ortiz, was featured in Stupid Dope discussing his story. He was arrested at age 16 for cannabis possession during his junior year of high school, and became involved with SSDP at college, and which has led him to become an lifelong activist. At the University of Connecticut, Ortiz joined Students for
Kat Murti – Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Meta Censorship, and the Fight for Science – PsyNews.com
PsyNews.com, a website dedicated to covering the psychedelic industry, shared Kat Murti, SSDP’s Executive Director’s recent podcast appearance on Psychedelics Today with Joe Moore. Learn more here.
Beyond the New Frontier – Arctic Visions Conference & SSDP Fundraiser This Week
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is dedicated to growing a strong and diverse nationwide network of advocates united to end the War on Drugs. We are eager to meet with local ambassadors in Anchorage, Alaska this week as we travel beyond the new frontier to build community, share knowledge, and expand our membership. Join us at the Arctic Visions Psychedelic
Introducing SSDP’s Law & Justice Committee
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is excited to invite you to join our new Law & Justice Committee! This committee is a space for people interested in legal advocacy—lawyers, law students, and anyone interested in leveraging the law to end the War on Drugs and mitigate the harms of it. The committee will track drug policy, identify opportunities for
SSDP Hosts “Anchored In Altered States” in Anchorage on August 14
Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) for Anchored In Altered States, a thought-provoking networking event and documentary screening at The Nave in Anchorage on Thursday, August 14, 2025 from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM AKDT. The day before SSDP participates in the Arctic Visions Psychedelics Conference, we’re excited to host an evening gathering to bring together community leaders and
Student Activists Petition to End Cannabis, Plant Medicine Censorship on Instagram by Meta – Heady NJ
Heady NJ reports that Students for Sensible Drug Policy leads the way through online efforts to fight the ongoing censorship and banning of cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction organizations. “It is vital that evidence-based, life-saving information is not censored. Harm reduction and drug education save lives. Cannabis and psychedelic therapies are supported by rigorous scientific research and show promise for
SSDP’s Gina Giorgio Appointed to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Veterans’ Health
North Carolina is home to the 8th largest Veteran population in the US, with around 619,000 Veterans living in the state. 29.5% of NC Veterans have a disability, according to US Census data. This makes the NC task force an important step forward in supporting the state’s Veterans. North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Veterans’ Health (NCIOM) is
SSDP at the 5th Annual Pittsburgh Cannabis Festival
SSDP is excited to return to the Pittsburgh Cannabis Festival at Allegheny Commons Park on Sunday, August 10th from Noon-5PM. The festival is free and open to the public. No medical card is needed to attend. The event will promote health, wellness, education, and advocacy that explores the PA medical marijuana industry and celebrates the growing cannabis culture in Pennsylvania.
Adam J. Smith Appointed Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project – Cannabis Science & Technology
Cannabis Science & Technology reports on Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)‘s announcement of their new Executive Director, Adam J. Smith, who has 30 years of experience in drug policy reform and advocacy, including starting Students for Sensible Drug Policy! “I’m honored and excited to join the dedicated team at MPP and to build upon the organization’s extraordinary legacy in advancing sensible
USDA Database Describes Marijuana As ‘Medicinal’ Even As Federal Government Keeps It In Schedule I
Marijuana Moment reports, “While the U.S. government still officially considers marijuana a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use, federal agencies are increasingly breaking with that position. In one notable example, an entry in a Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant database describes the use of Cannabis sativa as having “medicinal” uses.” Kat Murti, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy,
Marijuana Policy Project Welcomes Adam J. Smith as New Executive Director
The Marijuana Policy Project (“MPP”), announced that Adam J. Smith will join the organization as Executive Director. Smith, a 30-year veteran of the drug policy reform movement, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of advocacy successes that will further MPP’s mission of ending cannabis prohibition and advancing sensible regulations nationwide. Smith’s extensive career in drug policy
Cat Packer on Cannabis, Equity, and Reform in mg Magazine
SSDP’s friend and colleague, Cat Packer, graced the cover of mg Magazine, the leading national trade outlet for cannabis industry professionals. As the first person of color to head a cannabis regulatory agency, Cat helped build the system. Now she’s working to make it more equitable, and she mentions her collaboration with SSDP in the article. mg Magazine reports, “In
