The Report Card is back! After taking a brief hiatus in January, we’re back to inform you on the exciting work SSDPers across the globe are doing. 

This month SSDP International, our sister organization, held their Inaugural General Assembly. This historic moment for SSDP saw the election of the SSDP International founding Board of Directors, the adoption of a new internationally applicable mission, the adoption of an inaugural Advisory Board, and the adoption of the newly designed membership structure of the Global Program.

In December, SSDP held our U.S. Policy Summit to solidify our organizational objectives for the 117th Congress and encouraged our members to volunteer with voter registration efforts in Georgia. Now that the elections are over, we are ready to push the Biden Administration and Congress for drug policies focused on public health and human rights. SSDP International held training sessions on UN Advocacy and African leadership development and developed the SSDP Africa Committee to create a more cohesive structure for African SSDPers. The second round of SSDP’s Psychedelic Career Development Pipeline mentorship program was a huge success with over 100 applicants, most of whom are new to SSDP.

In celebration of Black Futures Month, we will be doing social media spotlights of Black SSDP team members, Board members, chapter members, and alumni in Africa and the diaspora. Check our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter throughout this month for our spotlights. 

Next week, we will be launching registration for #Sensible2021: The Virtual Drug Policy Conference, which will take place online from April 29th through May 2nd. Stay tuned for updates, and be sure to submit a session proposal by Monday, March 1st.

New Activists and Chapters

• SSDP Netherlands 
• University of California Berkeley
• SSDP Newcastle 
• University of Maine Orono
• California State University Fullerton
• University of York
• Tulane University
• South Mountain Community College
• University of Michigan
• Santa Clara University School of Law
• St. Andrews
• SSDP Huddersfield

CAT leaderboard

• SSDP UCL
• University of Montana
• Wake Forest University School of Medicine
• Oakland Community College
• University of California Santa Cruz
• Michigan State University
• Occidental College
• Western Washington University
• North Dakota State University
• UConn Hartford

Stats

• 102 individuals applied for the SSDP Psychedelic Pipeline mentorship program, most of whom are new to SSDP.
• 52% of our 2020-2021 fundraising goal met
• 1 Evan Hazlett joined the SSDP team as Conference Coordinator
• 1 Beatrix Vas joined the SSDP team as Global Strategic Consultant
• 4 members elected to the SSDP Intl. founding Board of Directors
• 3 people appointed to the SSDP Intl. Advisory Board
• 30+ attendees at the Inaugural SSDP Intl. General Assembly

Network highlights

• Moronfolu Adeniyi ’15 joined the Civil Society Task Force on Drugs (African Union)
• Iulia Vatau ‘19, Eolann David ‘19, Ewelle Williams and Amie Hogan ‘19 were elected to the SSDP Intl. founding Board of Directors
• Jake Agliata ‘11, Bernice Apondi and Maria-Goretti Ane *18 were appointed to the SSDP Intl. Advisory Board

SSDP in the news

• How Hungary broke EU unity in the UN vote on medical cannabis – Hungarian
• New Black-owned CBD store aims to dispel its placebo myth – PGH City Paper
• New student group calls for sensible drug policies – Middlebury Campus
• Trump administration defends students’ rights to discuss marijuana legalization on campus – The Boston Globe
• “Solarity” Failed Students By Refusing to Provide Condoms – The Oberlin Review
• 65 Outstanding Black And Hispanic Men Leading In Cannabis – Benzinga

From the blog

• Introducing SSDP International’s Board and here’s what you missed from the General Assembly
• Introducing the new Ambassador at University of York
• US Members: Take Our Limited Drug Decriminalization Policy Position Survey
• SSDP African Orientation Survey: Results and Feedback
• Psychedelic Exceptionalism vs Decrim All
• Introducing University of Michigan SSDP
• Introducing SSDP Newcastle
• Introducing SSDP Netherlands
• Introducing our new Federal Policy Liaison
• Introducing California State University Fullerton
• Our Top Ten of 2020
• Hear what our members have to say about the Psychedelic Career Pipeline
• Announcing SSDP International’s General Assembly
• Introducing SSDP Rwanda
• Register Now – Drug Policy and Transformational Leadership SSDP Africa
• Opinion Piece: After 50 Years of Failure, IT’s Time to Rethink the Controlled Substances Act
• Now Available: Strategy Summit Session Recordings
• New Member added to US Policy Council Leadership Team

Upcoming events and days of action

These events include those which are hosted by SSDP global, 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 20, 2021 | Online | Thank You Plant Medicine
• February 20, 2021 | Worldwide | World Day of Social Justice
• February 22-26, 2021| Online | EntheoNation Plant Spirit Summit with Carmen Jackman ‘19
• March 1, 2021 | Worldwide | Zero Discrimination Day
• March 2, 2021 |Online |From Corporate to Conscious Career – panel discussion with Q&A hosted by Psychedelic Society UK
• March 24, 2021 | Worldwide | World Tuberculosis Day
• April 7, 2021 | Worldwide | World Health Day
• April 17, 2021 | Washington, DC, USA | National Cannabis Festival
• April 29 – May 2 | Online | Sensible2021: The Virtual Drug Policy Conference

Recommended reading and resources

• Carmen Jackman ‘19: Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
• Róisín Downes ‘15: On the A-Gender: A Community Monitoring Tool for Gender Responsive Harm Reduction Services for Women Who Use Drugs (INPUD)
• Vilmarie Fraguada Narloch, PsyD ‘09: Set and Setting: A Randomized Study of Different Musical Genres in Supporting Psychedelic Therapy
• Rob Hofmann ‘16: Appeals Court Overturns Ruling that Legalized [Safe Consumption Spaces]; Safehouse Fights On
• Luis Montoya ‘16: Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America

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.
• Arcview Ignites – Get cannabis industry expertise from the leading cannabis investor network and SSDP gets a percentage of revenue share
• 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”
• Oaksterdam University – Get $100 off any course till 2021 with the code “SSDP100”

Jobs and opportunities

• Careers Page – 4Front Ventures
• Consultant – Facilitate reflection workshop – YouthRISE
• Consultant – Report on Universal Health Coverage & Young People Who Use Drugs – YouthRISE
• Automation Technician – Dr. Bronner’s
• Bulk Manufacturing Operator – Dr. Bronner’s
• Employment Specialist – Dr. Bronner’s
• Recycling and Waste Diversion Coordinator – Dr. Bronner’s
• Social Media Community Specialist – Dr. Bronner’s
• Volunteers Vacancy – Harm Reduction International