News
Dems Call on Biden to Limit Weed Prosecutions Before Trump Takes Over – Rolling Stone
It was incredible to see a photo of our SSDP team from our cannabis legalization rally back in October 2022 in front of the White House featured in Rolling Stone! A coalition of Democratic senators and representatives is calling on the Biden administration to finalize its plans to limit marijuana prosecutions at the federal level before he leaves office. Read the article
Interviews: Meet the Team Who Challenged the DEA on DOI and DOC – Psychedelic Alpha
We are grateful to Psychedelic Alpha for this comprehensive overview of the people behind our effort to challenge the DEA on two psychedelic research chemicals – DOI & DOC. The team can only remain optimistic that the evidence presented was enough to tilt the scale in favor of SSDP/Ramos, and if nothing else that those watching and reading about this
DEA concludes hearing on 2 psychedelic research compounds – The Microdose
Thank you to The Microdose, an independent journalism newsletter brought to you by the U.C. Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics for covering SSDP’s historic ten-day court hearing with the DEA fighting to keep psychedelic research chemicals DOI & DOC legal. Read the article here.
A Psychedelic Ban Would Disrupt Important Research – Reason
We are grateful for Reason for shining light on our court case with the DEA, fighting to keep DOI & DOC, two psychedelic research chemicals from becoming Schedule I drugs. SSDP describes the two compounds as “essential research chemicals in pre-clinical psychiatry and neurobiology,” noting that their unscheduled status has made them accessible as tools for studying serotonin receptors. It says DOI,
National Day of Action: Urge President Biden to Grant Cannabis Clemency Today – Stupiddope
Thank you for Stupiddope for sharing our advocacy alert to call the White House today for National Day of Action for Cannabis Clemency. Read the article here.
Dispatch From the DEA: DOI and DOC on Trial As Scientists Challenge Psychedelic Scheduling Bid – Psychedelic Alpha
We are grateful to investigative journalist Jack Gorsline on behalf of Psychedelic Alpha for joining SSDP in court with the DEA to dig into the SSDP’s trail with the DEA. Reflecting on events thus far, SSDP/Ramos co-counsel Phelps seemed confident. “I think it went as well as we could have hoped”, he said, adding that he thinks his side’s evidence
Psychonaut POV: Q&A with Kat Murti, Activist & Director – Tricycle Day
Tricycle Day ,a leading psychedelic newsletter, featured SSDP’s Executive Director Kat Murti in their November 17, 2024 edition. We spoke to Kat about why students are the ideal people to fight the War on Drugs, how SSDP is challenging the DEA right now, and what anyone can do to support sensible psychedelic policy. Read the Q&A with Kat here.
Why is the DEA trying to ban these research chemicals? – Boulder Weekly
Thanks to Boulder Weekly for sharing news about our upcoming ten day hearing with the DEA to keep psychedelic research chemicals DOI & DOC legal. DOI and DOC have been used to help study anxiety, depression, substance use disorder and more. The drugs have been cited in more than 900 published studies, according to Murti. In July, SSDP and others sued to
Empowering students to make informed decisions: Students for Sensible Drug Policy – The Lutrinae
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB), led by Maria Fernanda Corral Cervantes was featured in The Lutrinae. For Cervantes, fostering a culture of harm reduction on campus means more than just providing resources–it’s about creating a space where students can discuss their experiences openly. “It’s important for students to have a place to talk
Where Some See Taboos, They See Opportunity – The New York Times
SSDP’s partnership with Overdrive Defense gets mention in The New York Times. Read the article here.
Breaking Boundaries: Psychedelics, Drug Policy, and the Science of Healing – Vibe Science
Vibe Science hosts Ryan Alford and Chris Hansen bring listeners on a journey through the evolving world of drug policy. Thank you for inviting SSDP’s Kat Murti and Gina Giorgio onto the podcast to discuss psychedelics, drug policy, and the science of healing. Watch the episode here.
With mental health concerns on the rise, psychedelic drugs may be the answer – Boston University News Service
Thank you for the Boston University News Service for their article discussing Question 4 on the Massachusetts ballot. Read the article here. “Typically, the way we approach mental healthcare is through a long path of seeing a therapist for potentially years,” said Gina Giorgio, Director of Strategy for Students for Sensible Drug Policy. “Psychedelic therapists say that treatment may only
Six tips from the Students for Sensible Drug Policy to stay safe during Halloween – The Lutrinae
Thanks to The Lutrinae, the student-run newspaper covering California State University, Monterey Bay, for posting their article, “Six tips from the Students for Sensible Drug Policy to stay safe during Halloween.“ “While college students may be past their candy-collecting days, unfamiliar substances, chaotic environments and inexperience mean #Halloween can still be as risky as any horror story according to the
Psychedelics on the Ballot in Massachusetts – Lucid News
Thank you to Lucid News for sharing information about the importance of Question 4 on the ballot in Massachusetts. SSDP’s Campaign Educators have been all over the state urging the community to register to vote, and sharing important info on what this measure means for psychedelic policy in the state. Law Enforcement Action Partnership, veterans groups including Disabled American Veterans
Documentary screening, Q&A to highlight Question 4 – Greenfield Recorder
Local advocacy groups including SSDP will host an informal reception at the Garden Cinemas on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 4:30 p.m., to discuss Yes on 4 followed by a screening of the feature-length documentary “Music for Mushrooms.” Thanks to the Recorder for mentioning SSDP in the Weekly Recorder. Read more here.
Meet the Legal Team Fighting the DEA to Save Psychedelic Research – Psychedelics Today
We are grateful to Psychedelics Today for educating the community about the importance of DOI & DOC. “I have many colleagues who work with these compounds who will testify in the upcoming hearing, and that is only a subset of the research community,” said Elijah Ullman, Chair of SSDP’s Science Policy Council who has been interested in science policy since
DEA Faces Setback As Judge Denies Request To Block Witnesses In Psychedelics Ban Hearing – Benzinga
In a significant development for psychedelics research, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrative law judge has rejected the agency’s request to block key witnesses and evidence in an upcoming hearing. The case, set for November, challenges the DEA’s proposed ban on two psychedelic compounds, DOI and DOC, which are used in research. Thank you to Benzinga for sharing this important the DOI and DOC hearing news.
DEA Judge Denies Agency’s Request To Block Witnesses In Hearing Challenging Proposed Psychedelics Ban – Marijuana Moment
“Science prevails!” SSDP Executive Director Kat Murti told Marijuana Moment on Monday. “The DEA is trying to force medical research into the dark ages by criminalizing DOI and DOC—essential research chemicals in pre-clinical psychiatry and neurobiology whose status as unscheduled compounds has made them de facto tools for researchers studying serotonin receptors.” “SSDP is proud to have brought together the
Investors Hangout: DEA Witness Denial Sparks Outcry Among Advocates
Published on October 7, 2024 in Investors Hangout by Owen Jenkins. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has caused quite a stir by denying testimony from important witnesses just before scheduled hearings on the potential classification of two psychedelic compounds, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC). This decision has led to significant backlash from advocates, most notably the Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Benzinga: DEA Rejects Witnesses For November Hearings On Two Psychedelic Compounds, Advocates Push Back
Coverage on October 7, 2024 in Benzinga by Juan Spínelli. “What is the DEA so scared of that these leading scientists must be muzzled?” asked Robert Rush, a Denver-based attorney representing SSDP. He criticized the agency for attempting to block testimony from some of the world’s foremost experts in neuroscience and pharmacology. Read more in Benzinga here.
Green Market Report: DEA rejects speakers for November hearings on two psychedelic compounds
We are grateful to Debra Borchardt from Green Market Report for her coverage on the DOI/DOC hearings published on October 4, 2024. “What is the DEA so scared of that these leading scientists must be muzzled?” said Robert Rush, a Denver-based attorney who is working hand-in-hand with SSDP to keep research using DOI and DOC legal. “By trying to silence
Filter: DEA Bids to Exclude Expert Witnesses From Psychedelics-Ban Hearing
Special thanks to Jack Gorsline from Filter Magazine for a deeper look into the DEA’s response to our expert witnesses for the DOI and DOC hearing. Published on October 4, 2024. “We have assembled a world-class international group of behavioral and molecular pharmacologists, chemists, neuroscientists, and a former Government Advisor on psychoactive drugs,” added SSDP’s Elijah Ullman, who is himself pursuing
Marijuana Moment: DEA Seeks To Block Experts From Giving ‘Incompetent’ Testimony At Hearing On Proposed Psychedelics Ban
DOI and DOC’s current status as unscheduled compounds has made them de facto tools for researchers studying serotonin receptors. They have featured in more than 900 research articles and show promise for pain management, combatting anxiety and depression, and preventing overdose. Scheduling DOI and DOC would create serious impediments to potentially life-saving research, and yet SSDP is the only drug
Reimagining the Drug War Amid Rising Coca Cultivation in Central America – WOLA
This podcast episode features Kendra McSweeney and Fritz Pinnow, part of a team investigating a new trend: the emergence of coca cultivation in Central America. McSweeney, a professor of geography at Ohio State University, has research human-environment interactions, cultural and political ecology, conservation and development, resilience, demography, and land use/cover change. Pinnow is a Honduras-based journalist and documentary photographer specializing in illicit economies,
Earthstar’s Intentional Music Fest Takes Center Stage in Joshua Tree – Yahoo Finance
SSDP is excited to be a part of Earthstar Festival, a plant medicine unconference meets music festival taking place in the heart of Joshua Tree, California. Learn more here.
