Blog

by Robert Hofmann and Mike Liszewski With 2021 drawing to a close, Students for Sensible Drug Policy is reflecting on the drug policy milestones and victories over the past twelve months. Despite the challenges to political organizing that COVID provided, SSDPers and other drug policy reform advocates were busy advancing ...

Students for Sensible Drug Policy did some amazing things in 2021. Our thoughtful, bright, and impressive young activists made huge strides towards SSDP’s vision of a post-prohibition future where safety, justice, and education are prioritized in drug policy. There’s no better time than right now to help us make 2021 ...

Friends, We wish you a gentle, safe, and healthy holiday season. Thank you for being a part of our community. With love, Your SSDP team From now until December 31st, all gifts made to SSDP will be matched up to $50,000. Make a gift today, and your contribution will go ...

At Students for Sensible Drug Policy, we deeply value all of our community members, whether they are alumni, students, youth, funders, or allies. We believe that our community should always be informed about our programs and financials, so I wanted to share with you our progress towards our fundraising goal ...

I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of SSDP supporters like you, so I would like to tell you my SSDP origin story. Ten years ago, I was expelled from high school for drug possession. As both an honor student and a "troubled teen," I felt so ...

Money. We all need it, and Congress has a lot of it. In July, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill to allocate almost $69.5 million to expand syringe service programs - quadrupling the funding that was allocated last year. The Biden Administration has been slowly adopting more harm reduction-related ...

Today is Giving Tuesday and it’s my one-year anniversary of working at Students for Sensible Drug Policy, so I am sharing my SSDP origin story with you.  In 2012, shortly after my college graduation, I was arrested for cannabis possession. I was both ashamed of my arrest and fearful that ...

This week, Students for Sensible Drug Policy will be in New York City for the Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics Conference. To register with our special discount code for students + youth, email carmen@ssdp.org. We’ll also be co-hosting three side events during the conference! Check out the schedule below: Thursday, December ...

For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! And now, we have Jeremy Sharp, Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator! Jeremy Sharp ‘13 (he/him) Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement University of North Georgia Short Bio Jeremy ...

For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! Today, we have our Development Director, Rachel Wissner! Rachel Wissner '11 (she/her) Development Director Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement SUNY New Paltz 2011-2016 Short Bio Rachel Wissner is the Development ...

For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! Next, we have our Executive Director, Jason Ortiz! Jason Ortiz ‘08 (he, him, el) Executive Director Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement UConn Storrs, was CFO for many years Short Bio ...

For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! First up, we have Carmen Winter, Development Associate! Carmen Winter '19, (she/they) Development Associate Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement Maryland Institute College of Art Short Bio Carmen Winter is a ...

We are excited to announce that we have a new Ambassador based out of the University of Denver, Georgia Horne ‘21! We met with Georgia to find out more about what brought them to the network and what they’re excited about. 1. Tell us a bit about yourself (anything that ...

SSDP Engages with Florida’s Emerging Cannabis Industry Recently, I took an autumn drive from Atlanta to Tallahassee, Florida, in order to help stakeholders lobby for sensible Cannabis reform at Florida’s State General Assembly. While cruising down an old state highway in Southern Georgia, lined with colorful leaves and farms whose ...

Written by Emma Landry ‘21 and Avery Meyer ‘21, Johns Hopkins University SSDP Co-Chapter Leaders 1. How did you hear about SSDP? Avery: I have heard about SSDP over the years vaguely, but became really interested when I talked to someone who was involved in SSDP and spoke really highly ...

Note from the team It has been an exciting last few months at SSDP! We launched multiple campaigns, hired 2 stellar interns, and had a strong presence at MJBizCon, the 5th European Harm Reduction Conference, and the American Bar Association's Business of Cannabis Conference. Help us keep up the momentum ...

40 under 40 Outstanding BIPOC leaders in Drug Policy  By Oriana Mayorga One effective way to practice allyship and anti-racism in the drug policy movement is to intentionally uplift the voices and talents of people of color, and directly support them by booking them on your conference panels, events and ...

Interview with Lindsey Galbo, Wake Forest SOM SSDP Chapter President Lindsey Galbo ‘19 is the Founder and President of the Wake Forest School of Medicine Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter. Lindsey and the rest of the Wake Forest SOM chapter have focused primarily on the intersection of harm reduction, ...

It is time to end the disparity in prison sentences between crack and powder cocaine-related offenses. Urge your Senators to vote YES on the EQUAL Act!In 1986, the Anti Drug Abuse Act created a 100:1 disparity between the federal mandatory minimum sentence for crack and powder cocaine. Almost a quarter ...

Passionate about harm reduction-based peer education? Helping drug policy reformers find the psychedelic career of their dreams? We are currently hiring two more interns! Interning with SSDP provides you with an excellent opportunity to work with the largest global youth-led network dedicated to ending the War on Drugs and to ...