Blog
Introducing Fordham University SSDP
Written by Aenea Towns-von Stauber ‘22, SSDP Fordham Chapter Leader How did you hear about SSDP?I heard about SSDP through MAPS. I’m interested in going into psychedelic research, and was reading about ways I could start working towards that. From there I started looking into SSDP, and I decided that if I want to go into a career involving psychedelics
Student Post – President Biden: Is the Future of Sensible Drug Policy a Pipe Dream?
Written by Jarell Corley ‘22, Hyde Park, Illinois SSDP Ambassador As a former medical marijuana activist and current electoral reform advocate, I am passionate about serious efforts to reform outdated policies influencing many aspects of our society; one in particular is drug policy. This article is in response to President Biden’s executive order pardoning all federal offenses of simple marijuana
Announcing SSDP Congressional Session 2023
Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors This year, the SSDP Congress will convene from March 7th – 8th, 2023, and provide each chapter in the network the opportunity to elect new student members to the Board of Directors, and to vote on resolutions for the organization. ELECTING STUDENT MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SSDP Congress
SSDP’s Top 10 Policy Victories of 2022
With 2022 drawing to a close, Students for Sensible Drug Policy is reflecting on the drug policy victories we have been able to accomplish over the past twelve months. With campuses and community centers opening back up, keeping the potential risks of COVID in mind,, our students and youth leaders were busy leading efforts to advance sensible policies on their
Reasons to Donate to SSDP: Top Highlights from the SSDP’s Southern Region
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
Top Five Reasons from 2022 to Support SSDP in 2023!
Top Five Reasons from 2022 to Support SSDP in 2023! Downloadable PDF SSDP is the most widespread, effective, and intersectional youth drug policy organization in the Nation. We are the only Drug Policy organization with deep roots and current programming covering cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction at over 100 campuses across the country, creating true pathways toward national systemic change
Youth organizers pass the first marijuana decriminalization ordinance in Denton
Congratulations to the University of North Texas Students for Sensible Drug Policy (UNT SSDP) chapter and Decriminalize Denton for passing Denton Proposition B: the city’s first marijuana decriminalization ordinance! The initiative to eliminate low-level marijuana enforcement passed with an overwhelming majority at 71.6% of the votes. Tristan Seikel ’18, a UNT SSDP Alumnus and founder of Decriminalize Denton, shared his
The Case for Descheduling Drugs: From Cannabis to Heroin
Recently, President Biden asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.” The announcement was a welcomed change by many federal cannabis activists, who are calling for the descheduling of cannabis through this review. In order to truly understand why we must deschedule marijuana, it’s important
We made good trouble on the front steps of the White House
Monday’s protest at the White House in support of clemency for all federal cannabis prisoners reminded the President that his work on Cannabis is nowhere near done, and that the people will hold his feet to the fire until all our incarcerated friends and family are home. SSDP Student Leaders from across the country joined in the action including the
Why we’re protesting President Biden today
SSDP Student Leaders and allies to protest President Biden’s lack of follow through on campaign promise to release cannabis prisoners PRIMARY PRESS CONTACT: MAYA TATUM, IMMEDIATE PAST SSDP BOARD CHAIR, MAYA.TATUM@BOARD.SSDP.ORG, 1 (623) 2891 SECONDARY PRESS CONTACT: JEREMY SHARP: SSDP SOUTHERN AND PACIFIC REGION COORDINATOR , JEREMY@SSDP.ORG 1 (706) 540-6846 ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: PRESS@LASTPRISONERPROJECT.ORG #BidenRelease420Prisoners Washington D.C. – Student leaders from
Introducing Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ambassador Anjolee Spence
How did you hear about Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)? Hi! My name is Anjolee! Through my interest in psychedelic sciences, I found my way to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) website looking for volunteer opportunities when I came across the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Psychedelic Pipeline and learned about SSDP’s overall purpose of fighting
Hip Hop Legends Redman and M1 of Dead Prez join the October 24th action at the White House
Redman and M1 of Dead Prez join the October 24th action at the White House Primary contact : Jason Ortiz, 860 639 8101 – jason@ssdp.org Washington D.C. – Hip Hop legends M1 of Dead Prez and Redman will join the rally for cannabis clemency on October 24th at the gates of White House starting at 10:00 AM. They will be
Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Last Prisoner Project celebrate first step by President Biden to fulfilling campaign promises
Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Last Prisoner Project celebrate first step by President Biden to fulfilling campaign promises Primary contact- Jason Ortiz, Executive Director of Students for Drug Policy, 860 639 8101, jason@ssdp.org Washington, D.C. – Earlier today, President Biden announced that he has pardoned all federal cannabis prisoners charged with simple possession of cannabis. We are encouraged
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Last Prisoner Project Urge President Biden to Keep His Promise on Federal Cannabis Clemency
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Last Prisoner Project Announce the Keep Your Promise Campaign President Biden: Keep Your Promise to Release Cannabis Prisoners Primary Press Contact: Jason Ortiz, jason@ssdp.org Secondary Press Contact: press@lastprisonerproject.org Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) has partnered with the Last Prisoner Project to conduct a series of civil disobedience actions aimed at pressuring President
SSDP Science Policy Council successfully pushes back on DEA effort to criminalize psychedelic research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SSDP Science Policy Council successfully pushes back on DEA effort to criminalize psychedelic research On Friday August 26, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) withdrew proposed Schedule I status for 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC). The notice states that “The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is withdrawing a proposed rule that was published in the Federal Register on
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ends Partnership with Decriminalize Nature National
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Foundation (SSDP) is disappointed by the recent anti-Semitic messaging coming from Decriminalize Nature’s National leadership (DN). After consideration of Decrim Nature’s actions, this type of messaging does not reflect the values of SSDP, and we have decided to end our formal partnership with Decrim Nature’s National leadership. For more information: DN made a post on
SSDP & SMART Unveil First Cohort of HBCU Ambassadors for Cannabis Policy and Awareness Campaign
For Immediate release: SSDP & SMART Unveil First Cohort of HBCU Ambassadors for Cannabis Policy and Awareness Campaign Washington DC: Students for Sensible Drug Policy(SSDP) and the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency (SMART) have selected their 11 Student Ambassadors for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The chosen ambassadors will receive a stipend, professional development and support, access to
Cannabis Decriminalization in the Deep South
Georgia’s SSDP Chapters One Step Closer to Passing States Most Important Cannabis Decriminalization Ordinance in Athens, Ga. June 13, 2022: Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is proud to announce, on Thursday, June 9th at 1pm in City Hall, the Athens-Clarke County Legislative Review Committee (“LRC”) unanimously voted (5-0) in favor of Georgia’s most comprehensive marijuana decriminalization ordinance. When
Students Urge the Biden Administration to Center Harm Reduction in the Methamphetamine Response Plan of 2021
President Bident recently signed the “Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021” into effect, naming methamphetamine as an “emerging drug threat” and directing the Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP) to implement a Methamphetamine Response Plan within 90 days of the signing of the bill. While we are concerned that this law is now targeting people who use methamphetamine with outdated prohibitionist
New Member Interview: California Lutheran University SSDP
SSDP’s staff is ecstatic to announce the formation of a new chapter at California Lutheran University (CLU), a private liberal arts university in Thousand Oaks, California. I’m grateful to announce that “the future of drug policy is intelligent, ethical, and hardworking.” In just a few short months, the chapter has been building a solid foundation for its future. Their leadership
Saying Farewell to the SSDP Chapter Activity Tracker
The Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Chapter Activity Tracker (CAT) was developed to gamify member engagement and facilitate the distribution of resources and scholarships to our chapters. The program was very successful in the years following it’s initial release, allowing chapters to compete with each other, learn from each other, and gain access to opportunities and resources along the
10 Days Left to Apply for Support. Don’t Punish Grant!
The Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action is a day that drug policy reform activists across the world join together in action to fight for drug policies based on human rights and harm reduction to counter the War on Drugs. There are small grants to support your activities, and the deadline for application is Friday, the 29th of April.
Submit Your Vote for SSDP’s Board of Directors
Elections for SSDP’s Class of 2022 Board of Directors are taking place today! SSDP remains unique in the fact that our organization is youth-led, meaning that ⅔ of the governing body of the organization consists of students and/or young people under the age of 30. Each year, the network is tasked with electing new directors to the Board. This year, we have 9
SSDP Advocates at the 65th UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The 65th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs took place in Vienna between 14-18 March, with members states and civil society representatives coming together to discuss the most pressing issues shaping drug policy today. This session saw historic developments largely influenced by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Walkouts were initiated at various times during the debate and for
