Rory O'Brien
We need your help in growing our infrastructure to continue the momentum
SSDP’s policy team has had some incredible victories this year, and we need your help in growing our infrastructure to continue the momentum! In 2022 alone, we have launched campaigns at the local, state and federal level. Dollar for dollar, SSDP has been incredibly effective at using our limited resources to advance sensible policies across the country. See below for
Students partner with testing manufacturer to provide free harm reduction tools to youth
Luis Montoya luis@ssdp.org Cameron Scally Cameron@dosetest.com March 28, 2022— Students for Sensible Drug Policy and DoseTest are partnering to expand access to drug checking kits and drug checking services for young people who use drugs and their peers across the United States. The partnership was borne out of a mutual desire to make these potentially life saving harm reduction tools
The MORE Act Is Coming Up For a Vote!
If you’re reading this email, you have probably already taken action to get your representatives to sign on to the MORE Act. We are anticipating another vote on the MORE Act in the next few weeks. Please take action to urge your House representative to vote YES on MORE!The vote is going to be close, and we need to keep
Feature: Kufikiri Imara
This is a more accessible, easier to read version of our social media posts that you can find on ohr Facebook and Instagram pages. “Black Futures Month is a visionary, forward-looking spin on celebrations of Blackness in February”. Today, we are featuring Kufikiri Imara and his poetry! Bio: Kufikiri Imara; born and raised on unceded Huichin territory of the Ohlone
Huge Victory Against Aerial Crop Eradication in Colombia!
Thanks to the persistent grassroots resistance by Indigenous communities in Colombia like the Nasa Tribe, Colombia’s Constitutional Court has paused the aerial fumigation of coca plants, ruling that the government failed to consult communities affected by the spraying of toxic chemicals onto their land. The Court ruled that the Duque administration must fully consult with potentially affected communities before the
February Newsletter 2022
Note from the ED 📝 If you thought 2021 was an eventful year for drug policy, 2022 is going to be even better! We have a multitude of campaigns launching this year including a statewide ballot measure in Michigan, HBCU outreach in partnership with SMART, and efforts to ensure harm reduction programs are available at every university in the country.
SSDP and SMART to partner on HBCU outreach campaign to increase diversity in drug policy
Primary contacts: Jason Ortiz Executive Director, SSDP jason@ssdp.org, (860) 639-8101 Nadir Pearson Founder and CEO, SMART nadir@studentmmj.com For Immediate Release: SSDP and SMART to partner on HBCU outreach campaign to increase diversity in drug policy Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency launch co-branded HBCU outreach campaign February 1st, 2022— Students
Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors!
This year, the SSDP Congress will convene from April 7th – 8th, 2022, and provide each chapter in the network with the opportunity to elect new student members to the Board of Directors, and to vote on resolutions for the organizations. ELECTING STUDENT MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS As a nonprofit organization, SSDP is governed by the Board of
Happy Holidays!
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 twice as far to support young people and sensible drug
Team Highlight: Jeremy Sharp ‘13
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 Sharp ’12 (he/him/his) is a convicted felon who graduated from
Team Highlight: Rachel Wissner ‘11
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 Director at SSDP. Rachel began her career as a drug
Team Highlight: Jason Ortiz ‘08
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 Jason Ortiz is an almnus of the UConn SSDP chapter,
Team Highlight: Carmen Winter ‘19
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 native Marylander and Washington, D.C. area based designer, researcher, and
Introducing Johns Hopkins University SSDP
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 of the organization and connections it allowed her to make.
November Newsletter 2021
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 by becoming a member of our Sensible Society, and see
Action Alert: Tell Your Senators to Eliminate Appalling Sentencing Disparities Between Crack and Powder Cocaine
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 century later, President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act, reducing
We’re Hiring Interns for Just Say Know & Our Psychedelic Pipeline!
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 support a large network of young people across the globe.
October Newsletter 2021
Note from the team As we enter the fall season, Students for Sensible Drug Policy has seen the return to campus for many of our chapters for the first time in well over a year. As everyone re-adjusts to a world that is not quite post-COVID but growing nearer, young leaders around the world are eager to re-engage with their
Public Announcement of the Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy!
Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) for the public announcement of the Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy! We have created a full resolution, an organizing guide, and a one pager that breaks the ordinance down into 4 main sections: adopting a public health approach to controlled substances, reforming criminal codes, audit and tracking of expenses and fees
We’re hiring two U.S. advocacy interns!
Have you ever wanted to work for Students for Sensible Drug Policy? We’re hiring two US advocacy interns! Working for SSDP is a great opportunity to serve our network of students and young people who are leading the charge to end the disastrous War on Drugs and heal the harms of drug prohibition. SSDP is overseen by our Board of
Introducing Collingswood High School
Written by Audrey Bosniak ’21, Collingswood High School SSDP Chapter Leader How did you hear about SSDP? Actually, I think my mom sent me the SSDP instagram page. She’s a therapist studying psychedelics and a big inspiration for me. Why did you want to get involved/what made you decide to start a chapter? It feels like I hear misconceptions
International Overdose Awareness Day 2021
Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. The day began in 2001 in Melbourne, Australia and has grown to be the largest annual global campaigns to end overdose. With one of the slogans being, “Time to Remember. Time to Act.” The World Drug Report (2021) stated that an estimated 275 million people used drugs in 2020 and that drug related deaths
Announcing New SSDP Promotions!
We are excited to announce two promotions for members of our team!Rob Hofmann ‘16 is now our Policy and Advocacy Director! In this role, Rob will be advancing drug policy reform by developing, implementing, and activating members around SSDP’s policy priorities. Other responsibilities include: Advising the SSDP team and members on policy mattersConducting research on current and upcoming legislation as
Get Your New Care Package for the New School Year!
As schools start bringing students back on campus, in-person recruiting for chapters is once again becoming a reality. Tabling, flyering, and other in-person recruitment strategies are key to developing a strong and long lasting chapter, so make sure you are incorporating a strong recruitment strategy with your chapter members! To help bring in the new school year and the first
Interview with Annajane Yolken
Interviewer: Liza Begum, Global Operations and U.S. Policy Intern Annajane Yolken is a public health advocate, working to translate data and research into evidence-based drug policy. She is a co-founder and co-chair of the Substance Use Policy, Education, and Recovery (SUPER) PAC. She is also Director of Programs at Project Weber/RENEW, a peer-based harm reduction service organization in Rhode Island.
