gina vensel

9
Jul

Sign SSDP’s Petition to Stop Meta Censorship

With nearly 100 company and organization co-signers (and growing!) to our Open Letter to Meta, the fight to end disproportionate censorship of content related to cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction has just begun. The recent social media suspensions and bans that have swept through our communities, inspired us at SSDP to bring together a broad coalition of students, educators, researchers,

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2
Jul

SSDP Hosts Cool Down Space at National Cannabis Festival July 18-19

While the summer sun is beating away, we are brewing some amazing ways to connect with SSDP fam and the larger cannabis community. Join us July 18-19th at the National Cannabis Festival in D.C.!  Music, weed, munchies, and talks allll day! We will be hosting a Cool Down Space, a harm reduction sanctuary where folks can spend some time to

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26
Jun

Has Meta Eased Cannabis Restrictions? Less Censorship on Instagram and Facebook, but No Clear Policies – El Planteo

SSDP’s call to end Meta censorship continues to get international attention. This time from El Planteo, an online publication based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The publication informed readers that Meta is located in the US where 24 states have legal cannabis for adult use and 40 for medicine use. The publication turned to Kat Murit, SSDP’s Executive Director, for further

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20
Jun

DEA Judge Backs Federal Ban On 2 Research Chemicals – Law360

Law360 reports that A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration judge has determined that two unrestrictive research chemicals DOI & DOC belong in Schedule I, the most strigent tier of prohibited substances under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Read more here. This recommendation directly undermines the future of psychedelic science and sets a dangerous precedent for research freedom. The groundbreaking multi-year long effort by

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18
Jun

Harm Reduction Pioneer Challenges Patent Attempt on Century-Old Drug Testing Methods – Cision

SSDP alum, Matthew Aragón, is a harm reduction activist who began organizing at age 15 with Students for Sensible Drug Policy. His work expanding access to drug checking tools and drug education. He has partnered with Emanuel Sferios, DanceSafe founder, who has pioneered harm reduction testing methods for nearly 30 years to form HRDS LCC, a company that develops and distributes

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17
Jun

Marijuana And Drug Groups Press Meta About Shadowbanning And Censorship – Marijuana Moment

Marijuana Moment reports that SSDP has obtained nearly 100 organizations in the U.S. and abroad to co-sign an open letter to Meta—the social media behemoth behind Facebook, Instagram and Threads—condemning the company for its censorship of marijuana- and drug-related content, which can limit users’ access to health, policy reform and educational materials. “So many groups we work with have been

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15
Jun

Meta (finally) drops the weed censorship – Facebook & Instagram now also chill with “Cannabis” – metaller.de

SSDP is getting international attention for standing up against Meta censorship. The German website, metaller.de, quoted SSDP’s Executive Director in their recent article. The voice of reason: Kat Murti gets to the point Kat Murti of Students for Sensible Drug Policy sums it up in an interview: “Meta is one of the largest sources of information in the world. People

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13
Jun

Facebook And Instagram Seem To Have Stopped Censoring Search Results For ‘Marijuana’ And ‘Cannabis’ – Marijuana Moment

Meta appears to have rolled back a restriction on searches for words like “marijuana” and “cannabis,” says Marijuana Moment. The company has received criticism that their censorship was overbroad and limited access to education, public health information and political advocacy. Kat Murti, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, called the updated search function “wonderful news” but noted that

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10
Jun

SSDP at Psychedelic Science 2025 in Denver

The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is hosting Psychedelic Science—the largest gathering of the psychedelic movement—at the Colorado Convention Center next week, and SSDP is showing up big!  PS2025 begins on Monday,  June 16 with two days of classes and workshops hosted by the movement’s top instructors. Then the main conference—featuring 500+ speakers, 10 stages, a diverse Expo Hall,

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4
Jun

FreedomFest – The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds

Since 2007, FreedomFest has been the leader in the liberty movement to bring together thousands of people committed to freedom – concerned citizens, educators, professionals, business leaders, filmmakers, politicians, celebrities, and policy makers. FreedomFest will offer a mix of 2,000 open-minded and inquisitive people, from business experts, politicians, and entrepreneurs… to influencers, artists, and filmmakers. FreedomFest is independent, non-partisan, and not

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27
May

SSDP’s Gina Giorgio Interviewed On North Carolina’s Spectrum News 1

Gina Giorgio, SSDP’s Director of Strategy and Development and Founder of the North Carolina Psychedelic Policy Coalition, was interviewed by NC television news station Spectrum News 1 about the formation of the North Carolina Psychedelic Policy Coalition in her home state, and the impact that psychedelic could have on supporting mental health patients. New psychedelic studies are underway at UNC

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15
May

SSDP & The Shulgin Foundation Webinar Series Kicks Off May 27

Join SSDP for a collaborative educational webinar series with the Shulgin Foundation highlighting the intersection of chemical innovation, research value, cognitive liberty, and drug policy reform. The series kicks off with a webinar entitled, “You’ve Gotta Fight for Your Right to Research (Chemicals): The Battle to Stop the DEA Scheduling of DOI and DOC. A Webinar on the Future of

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14
May

Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 Introduced to Congress – Cannabis Science and Technology

Cannabis Science and Technology reports that Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar recently introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 to Congress, which hopes to change restrictions on cannabis research. The article mentions SSDP as an organization in support of this new legislation. “Our nation’s drug policies have been shaped by stigma. The American people overwhelmingly support cannabis

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7
May

SSDP Launches “HOPE” on International Harm Reduction Day

In celebration of International Harm Reduction Day, SSDP has launched HOPE (Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention Education), our app-based educational initiative.  This new mobile application is designed to put life-saving opioid overdose recognition and response training—along with access to essential harm reduction supplies like naloxone—directly into the hands of students, young people, and concerned community members across the nation. International

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30
Apr

Cannabis Unity Coalition Lobbying Day

SSDP is a proud partner of the Cannabis Unity Coalition the nation’s largest bipartisan alliance of 30+ cannabis advocacy organizations united for the purpose of passing federal legislation to fully legalize cannabis and release all cannabis prisoners. SSDPers from across the country have gathered in DC this week and deliver materials today to every single office of Congress asking for

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25
Apr

SSDP Takes Action at Cannabis Week of Unity 2025

SSDP is a founding member of the Cannabis Unity Coalition, which is the largest ever bipartisan coalition of cannabis justice advocates all of whom will be represented in Washington, D.C. for Cannabis Unity Week from April 28th to May 1st. We will be meeting with our Representatives and Senators on Capitol Hill to urge them to support upcoming cannabis bills

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24
Apr

Coalition Letter to the Congressional Tobacco Harm Reduction Caucus for the 119th Congress

SSDP is proud to include our organization on this letter to the Congressional Tobacco Harm Reduction Caucus for the 119th Congress. Read the official letter here:

23
Apr

National Cannabis Festival Kicks Off 4/20 Week – The Washington Informer

The Washington Informer reports on the kick off to the National Cannabis Festival this week with an event today called “Roll up for Reform” at Culta Columbia where representatives from Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Maryland NORML, and the Balanced Veterans Network will discuss their initiatives to advance the rights of cannabis patients and enthusiasts throughout the DMV.  The National Cannabis Policy Summit will take place

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17
Apr

The Price of Cannabis Prohibition: Profits, Public Health, and the Case for Legalization – Harvard Independent

Harvard Independent’s Weed Issue this month featured considerations for the case of cannabis legalization. This student-led paper discussed the potential public health risks noting that risks could be managed within a regulatory framework.  In the article, Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, a criminologist, sociologist, and associate professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto, is interviewed about his research

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16
Apr

SSDP May Hangout: Celebrating our Impact

Greetings SSDP Fam! Our next SSDP Hangout event is SUNDAY, MAY 4th at 7:00 pm ET. Reflect on another great academic year with SSDP! Hang out with other SSDP folks from across the country, share success stories, and plant seeds for success for the summer and year ahead. If you have any questions please email amanda.ivatorov@board.ssdp.org. We look forward to

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16
Apr

You Are Invited to Join SSDP’s Psychedelics Committee

Hello SSDP Family, We’re excited to invite you to join the SSDP Psychedelics Committee. WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS? This committee will be a space for all to come together, explore the potential of psychedelics, and push for meaningful policy change. We want to hear from you! Please fill out this interest form to share your ideas, goals, and what areas

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11
Apr

Win a Pass to Psychedelic Science 2025

Join SSDP at Psychedelic Science 2025: The Integration, happening June 16–20 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. This is more than a conference—it’s a collective moment to come together, connect across disciplines, and shape the future of psychedelic science and healing. Use our promo code SSDP15 for 15% off your registration, and be part of a historic gathering where

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10
Apr

SSDP Rowan University Cannabis Industry Networking Night Returns April 22

Join SSDP’s Rowan University Chapter’s Second Annual Cannabis Industry Networking Night! If you passionate about the cannabis industry, looking to connect with like-minded professionals, and expand your network, then mark your calendar for Rowan University’s Chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s Second Annual Cannabis Industry Networking Night! Taking place on April 22nd at 3:00 PM at Bonesaw Brewery located at 570 Mullica Hill Road Glassboro, NJ 08028. This event

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1
Apr

What Will Sara Carter of Fox News Bring as “Drug Czar”? – Filter Mag

Filter Mag reports that on March 28, President Donald Trump announced Sara Carter as his pick for “drug czar.” Carter, who will need to be confirmed by the Senate, has a background as a journalist and Fox News contributor, with no direct drug policy or public health experience. SSDP former board member weighed in with his thoughts in the article.

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28
Mar

Chacruna’s Psychedelic Culture 2025 with SSDP

SSDP is delighted to be a community partner and speakers for Chacruna’s Psychedelic Culture 2025. Chacruna has been hosting groundbreaking psychedelic conferences since 2015, and this year, Psychedelic Culture continues that legacy. This two-day in-person event taking place March 29-30 will feature three simultaneous tracks covering Indigenous reciprocity, psychedelic justice, law & policy, women & queer voices, Global South perspectives,

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