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. This is in addition to our 10+ municipal level decrim all campaigns and a cannabis career readiness tour powered by Weedmaps!

2022 will mark a return to a clear and deliberate refocus on policy and outreach. We are excited to work with all of you as we build SSDP into the force we need to end the War on Drugs. 

¡Pa’lante!

Action Alerts 🚨

United States 

Federal:

• Demand a just end to marijuana prohibition through the MORE Act!
• Urge your Senators to eliminate the racist sentencing disparity between powdered and crack cocaine
• Allow the class-wide scheduling of fentanyl-related substances to expire on February 18th
• Eliminate funding for aerial crop eradication in Colombia

Local: 

• Pass our Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy in your community to shift from punitive drug policies to a public health focused approach.

New Activists and Chapters 🏫

• Drexel University
• California Lutheran University

CAT leaderboard 🏆

1. Michigan State University
2. University of Michigan
3. Wake Forest School of Medicine
4. Rochester SSDP
5. University of Florida
6. University of California Berkeley
7. Willamette University College of Law
8. DePaul University
9. University of North Florida
10. Harvard University

Stats 📈

Follow us on social media!

• 54,629 Facebook followers
• 7105 Instagram followers
• 1742 Twitter followers
• 2317 LinkedIn followers
• 3,184,686 views on YouTube
• 11 ongoing Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy campaigns
• 471 Sensible Society members
• 5 new members of our Corporate Partnership Program

From the blog 📰

• California State University Long Beach: SSDP Strengthens California Network
• SSDP and SMART to Partner on HBCU Outreach Campaign to Increase Diversity in Drug Policy
• SSDP, Decrim Nature Become Partners to Promote Compassion Based Public Health
• Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors!
• Missoula SSDP Successfully Pressures Administration to Protect Student Health and Safety
• Top 10 Drug Policy Reform Moments of 2021
• Your 2021 SSDP Wrapped

Recommended reading and resources 📚

• Rory O’Brien  ‘19: Medical Racism Is Fueling the Black Overdose Crisis, Advocates Say, Truthout
• Samantha Vazquez ‘21: “13th”, (Documentary)
• Róisín Downes ‘15: Thailand reforms drug laws to reduce impacts of criminal justice system, IDPC
• Carmen Winter 19’: Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake
• Rob Hofmann ‘16: California to Offer Contingency Management for Stimulant Use on Medicaid, Filter
• Vilmarie Fraguada Narloch, PsyD ‘09: The age of intoxication: Origins of the global drug trade, Benjamin Breen
• Rachel Wissner ‘11:  Do We Need to Abolish Child Protective Services?, Mother Jones

Upcoming events and days of action 🗓

These events include those which are hosted by SSDP or by SSDP chapters, or in which we are partners or co-hosts or feature an SSDP member as a speaker. If your chapter is hosting an event that you’d like listed, please let your SSDP staff member know. Check the “Member Benefits” section for event discount codes!

• February | USA and Canada | Black History Month  
• February | USA | Black Futures Month 
• February TBA | International | United Nations Training Series Networking Session
• February 9th | IL, USA | Illinois Virtual Town Hall: Illinois Compassionate Use of Natural Plants and Fungi Act
• February 10th | USA | SSDP X SMART HBCU Ambassador Program Launch on Instagram Live
• February 11th | International | International Day of Women and Girls in Science
• February 20th | International | World Day of Social Justice

Member Benefits 🏷

• Dip Devices’ Dipper – Get 15% off and give 15% to us with code “SSDP15”
• Dip Devices’ EVRI – 1% of all sales go to SSDP & MPP 
• Gift your credit card rewards to SSDP with Charity Charge 
• Work with NisonCo to propel your organization through public relations in the recreational cannabis, medical marijuana, and hemp industries.
• Get books from our Recommended Reading list and give back at the same time
• Shop to give back with iGive, Giving Assistant, and Amazon Smile
• Eco-Ag U Online from Acres U.S.A. – Get 15% off of any course or rewatch with discount code “SSDP15”

Jobs and opportunities 💼

• 4 positions open – Drug Policy Alliance
• 4 positions open  – NisonCo
• 15 positions open – Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
• 3 open positions – Youth RISE, International
• Policy Intern and 5 other open positions – AIDS United, Washington, DC and Remote, USA
• Executive Director– Sage Institute – Oakland, CA, USA
• SSDP X Fireside Project Ambassador – Remote, USA
• Director of Outreach and Psychedelic Peer Support Line Part-time Supervisor – Fireside Project, Remote, USA