Blog
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
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
ARE YOU SENSIBLE?
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is running our annual Sensible Society membership drive from now through May 31st. The Sensible Society is SSDP’s monthly giving club. Since its launch in 2014, the Sensible Society has made it possible for tens of thousands of SSDPers to have the resources and training they need to mobilize worldwide and fight for sensible drug
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
For Immediate Release: Michigan Initiative for Community Healing Certified to Begin Signature Gathering
Primary contacts: Myc Williams Myc@decrimnaturemi.org 305-304-0466 Julie Barron Julie@decrimnaturemi.org March 28, 2022 For Immediate Release: Michigan Initiative for Community Healing Certified to Begin Signature Gathering Lansing, Michigan — The Michigan Board of State Canvassers (BOSC) certified that the Michigan Initiative for Community Healing could begin collecting the required 340,047 signatures needed by June 1st to qualify for
Darkhei Rephua and SSDP Present: Bicycle Day Psychedelic Pseder
What are your plans for Bicycle Day this year? Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Darkhei Rephua are putting on our first-ever Bicycle Day Psychedelic Pseder! The Psychedelic Pseder will be an evening of song, stories, and psychedelic celebration of Pesach (Passover), holistic liberation, LSD, and the launch of WeLoveAcid.com A seder is a Jewish ritual feast that takes place
Open Letter on Youth Engagement to Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Foundation and Students for Sensible Drug Policy International, alongside 64 NGOs, call on the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to provide transparency on youth involvement in decision making and ensure their meaningful participation in the development and implementation of drug policies and programs. Signatories include 19 youth organizations, 13
Press Release: University of Michigan SSDP Launches Campaign to Decriminalize Drug Possession, Fund Proven Recovery Services in Ann Arbor
Primary contacts Matt Dargay, (248)-762-6976, mdargay@umich.edu – President, University of Michigan Students for Sensible Drug Policy Kylee Crook, (509)-703-8490, kycrook@umich.edu – Community Organizing and Events Coordinator, University of Michigan Students for Sensible Drug Policy For immediate release _____________________________________________ Student Drug Policy Organization Launches Campaign to Decriminalize Drug Possession, Fund Proven Recovery Services in Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, March 16th, 2022 – After
Introducing Drexel University SSDP
Written by Justin Serwinski ‘21, Madi Rockett ‘21, and Naomi Shifman ‘21 How did you hear about SSDP? After Justin’s initial outreach to start an organization focused on psychedelic medicine at Drexel, he met with a few faculty and students who appeared interested. During our first meeting, a faculty member discussed how it might be advantageous to integrate with SSDP
JSK ROUNDUP – Announcing the 3rd Edition!
Panel: Drug Legalization as a Public Health Measure
Every year, there are more than 1.5 million drug arrests in the United States. More than 80% of these arrests are for possession only. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have already decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and some are exploring the merits of decriminalizing other drugs. While drug decriminalization is a step in the right
Joint Statement from the Board: Bylaws, Rules, & Congress
The Board of Directors has recently voted to change the number of years for Director terms from 2 years to 3 years. This decision was reached by the board for the reasons below: An additional year provides more opportunities for projects and professional developmentProvides continuity as we continue to transition as an organization Standard Non-profit Board of Directors have a term
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
JUST SAY KNOW DRUG EDUCATION ROUNDUP – January 2022
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
SSDP 2022 Award Nominations Are Open
Every year at our annual conference, Students for Sensible Drug Policy recognizes the exceptional achievements of our members, chapters, alumni, and allies. While SSDP will not be hosting an international conference this year, we will be hosting a virtual award ceremony and hopefully gathering in person this fall to celebrate our award winners and nominees from the last three years.
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
SSDP, Decrim Nature become partners to promote compassion based public policy
For Immediate Release: National Decriminalization Advocacy Groups Launch Community Healing Alliance to Decriminalize Entheogens and Repair the Damage Done By the War on Drugs Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Decrim Nature create partnership to promote compassion and community healing based public policy Primary contacts: Jason Ortiz, 860-639-8101, jason@ssdp.org Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy Carlos Plazola, 510-207-7238, decrimnature@gmail.com Chair,
California State University Long Beach: SSDP Strengthens California Network
Interview with Rachael Gomez: President and Founder of California State University Long Beach SSDP SSDP’s Outreach Team is excited to announce the formation of a new chapter at the University of California Long Beach. Since getting started, the chapter has been actively organizing with fellow SSDPers in the Southern California area, connecting with community stakeholders and allies, and are learning
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
