News
Our U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook has been updated!
Written by Rob Hofmann ‘16, U.S. Movement Building Fellow Our public-facing U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook document has been updated to include submissions through May 2020! As you may have noticed, we also changed the title of the document from the Campus Policy Gradebook to the U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook, since the positive and negative aspects highlighted in the Gradebook are
Just Say Know Drug Education Roundup – April 2020
Things that aren’t Cannabis – CND Day 3
These blog posts are made in collaboration between CSSDP, SSDP and Youth RISE as part of our joint effort to provide youth with information about the Commission of Narcotic Drugs. We are the Paradigma Coalition. Authors: Alex Betsos (CSSDP) It’s day 3 of the 63rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Today was the day for cannabis to be
The Early Rising Youth Activists
These blog posts are made in collaboration between CSSDP, SSDP and Youth RISE as part of our joint effort to provide youth with information about the Commission of Narcotic Drugs. We are the Paradigma Coalition. Author: Ailish Brennan (Youth RISE) The Second Day of the 63rd Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs started bright and early with
The Beginning of the most boring CND – or is it
These blog posts are made in collaboration between CSSDP, SSDP and Youth RISE as part of our joint effort to provide youth with information about the Commission of Narcotic Drugs. We are the Paradigma Coalition. Authors: Alex Betsos (CSSDP) and Róisín Downes (SSDP) Today is the 1st day of the 63rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).
Michigan SSDP Chapters Prepare Their Expungement Push at Civic Engagement Conference
Written by: Sarah Noon ‘18, Oakland Community College SSDP President Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapters from Oakland Community College and Wayne State University organized and coordinated a breakout session on the topic of sensible drug policy at Michigan Democratic Institution for Civic Engagement’s 2020 Student Engagement Conference. Sarah Noon ‘18, president and founder of OCC SSDP, serves as the
SSDP Report Card for January 2020
Setting the Records Straight: Response to CSOs Calling for Criminalization of Drug Use in Ghana
Students for Sensible Drug Policy joined with organisations from across Ghana and West Africa in response to a petition by 5 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) opposing the calls for decriminalisation of drug use and possession, particularly of cannabis. You can read more about the calls for decriminalisation in the region in the Model Drug Law for West Africa: A Tool
United Nations Drug Policy Advocacy Handbook Launch
After many months of hard work, we are delighted to launch our United Nations Advocacy Handbook. This handbook is an introduction to the Global Drug Control System and how you can influence it, no matter where you live. SSDP is dedicated to bringing the youth voice to drug policy reform and this is how you can do it at the
United Nations Common Position on Drug Decriminalisation
If you would like to support our United Nations efforts, you can do so by donating to the International Activities Fund. Earlier this year, the Chief Executives Board (CEB) of the United Nations (representing 31 UN agencies) adopted a common position on drug policy that endorses decriminalisation of possession and use of scheduled substances. While a number of UN agencies
SSDP Report Card for November
Note from the team The SSDP Report Card for November is out! Read on for the latest in chapter news (it sure was a busy month for SSDPers!), see where our newest chapters have been founded, check out a growing list of events we’re proud to partner on, and so much more. Since it’s December, we know you’re hearing from
Politics and Harm Reduction: Four Countries’ Syringe Access Stories
This article was originally published by Filter, an online magazine covering drug use, drug policy and human rights through a harm reduction lens. Follow Filter on Facebook or Twitter, or sign up for its newsletter. Drug policy varies greatly among European countries, despite common foundations in UN treaties or EU strategies. In this article I’ll review syringe service programs (SSPs) in four East-Central European countries—the Czech Republic,
Introducing SSDP Durham!
Here is an interview with Dasha Anderson, the chapter leader of our newest chapter, SSDP Durham! Tell me a bit about yourself, what you study, your interests and why you decided to start a chapter. My name is Dasha, I’m a Durham University 4th year student studying towards an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience. I’ve had an interest in drugs and
SSDP Report Card for September 2019
The SSDP Report Card for September is out! Read on for the latest in chapter news, see where our newest chapters have been founded, check out a growing list of events we’re proud to partner on, and — new this month! — a monthly roundup of Just Say Know drug education news and activities. Thank you for staying in touch
UN Update: Noteworthy Tidbits About The Progress in Global Cannabis Policy reform
On September 23, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) convened in Vienna for the 5th intersessional meeting. Here is the low-down. What is CND? And what is an Intersessional? The CND is the main decision-making body of the United Nations in all drug control related matters. They make those decisions every March and convene meetings between the March sessions to
Letter from Betty Aldworth regarding election to the 4Front Ventures Board of Directors
Today, 4Front Ventures Corp, a publicly held company on the Canadian Securities Exchange, announced my appointment to its Board of Directors. When the invitation came, 4Front’s leadership highlighted the ways I can help strengthen their foundational commitment to advocacy and corporate responsibility while contributing my experience in governance and regulatory compliance. I’m tremendously excited to see how we can generate
SSDP Report Card for August 2019
The SSDP Report Card for August is out! Read on for the latest in chapter news, see where our newest chapters have been founded, check out a growing list of events we’re proud to partner on, and — new this month! — find ways the discount code “SSDP” can get you great savings on conference tickets and products. Thank you
Chicago Harm Reductionists and Stakeholders Survey their Mayoral Candidates
The city of Chicago is preparing to elect their next mayor, and local stakeholders wanted to know their candidate’s thoughts on several key drug policy-related issues impacting the city. In order to do so, members of the Drug Users Health Collective of Chicago and the Chicago Drug Users Union drafted a survey of seven questions and received sign-on support from
ESPD Mexico Starts Rebuilding
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked central Mexico back in September. Happily, none of the members of the SSDP chapter in Mexico, known as Estudiantes por una Política Sensata de Drogas (EPSD) México, were physically harmed by the earthquake. However, the building which housed the EPSD office was among those that collapsed, leaving our family down there without a base of
UC Berkeley SSDP Chapter Organizes Class on “Rethinking the Drug War”
Last semester, Students for Sensible Drug Policy members Rhana Hashemi and Lalitha Thirunagari organized a student-organized class titled, “Rethinking The Drug War: Historical Context, Framing, and Education.” The purpose of the course was to develop student understanding of how the war on drugs “impacts young people, decimates communities, swells the ranks of the juvenile justice system, and negatively impacts school
Apply for a Diversity Scholarship for SSDP2017
Deadline January 31 at 11:59pm EST In an ongoing effort to ensure that a diverse group of individuals and viewpoints are represented at our upcoming international conference, Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s Diversity Awareness Reflection and Education (DARE) Committee is offering scholarships to help defray the cost of attending the conference. Interested in applying for the DARE Scholarship? Fill out
California Is Finally Going to Legalize: Here Are Seven Reasons Prop. 64 Is a Great Way to Do It
From The Influence: By Lauren Mendelsohn, Chair of the Board of Directors, SSDP On November 8—this coming Tuesday—Californians will vote on Proposition 64 and whether to legalize cannabis for adult use. California first legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and has had a vast and complex grey market ever since, but full legalization will be an undeniable improvement over the status
SSDP Launches HBCU Working Group
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to converse with many Students for Sensible Drug Policy alumni, former SSDP staff members, and historic allies about the history of SSDP and the diversity of its membership. I have come to learn that the values of inclusion and advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities have been with the organization since its
SUCCESS Act Will Reinstate College Aid to Students With Drug Convictions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11, 2016 Bipartisan Senate Bill Will Reinstate College Aid to Students With Drug Convictions Hundreds of Thousands Have Lost Access to Education Since Aid Elimination Penalty Enacted in 1998 WASHINGTON, DC — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is pushing to repeal a Higher Education Act provision that strips college financial aid from students with drug
ANOTHER VIEW: Federal Marijuana Laws Keep Medical Pot From The Veterans Who Need It
Written by Board of Directors Vice Chair, Lauren Mendelsohn From the Gazettes: As more states move towards legalizing marijuana for adult use, people tend to forget that for many people suffering from debilitating diseases, even medical cannabis access is still a major challenge. Nowhere is this injustice more clear than for military veterans. Doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
