Rowan University SSDP Wins Chapter of the Year!

We are thrilled to announce that Rowan University SSDP has been awarded our brand new SSDP Chapter of the Year Award!

The Rowan University chapter really stood out this year—so much so that SSDP’s staff decided that we needed to start giving annual awards to students and chapters who exhibit exceptional skills or achievements. This recognition is a testament to Rowan SSDP’s active and consistent engagement, dedication, and hard work throughout the past year.

Recent graduate Ryan Ems started the chapter in the Fall of 2023 at Rowan University in New Jersey, and—thanks to his pure charisma and strong leadership abilities—quickly galvanized the Rowan SSDP chapter to become one of the best chapters in our network in just one year. 

“Social justice has become a surprise passion of mine. As I have learned about how unjust the drug war is, I decided I needed to do something about it. Rowan needed more education on all drugs, from caffeine to cocaine. I stepped in to fill the gap,” said Ryan. “The biggest challenge was getting started. I thought I needed a whole army to get anything done, but in reality, there is so much you can do with even a group of two or three. Once I found my club secretary, Sydney Turner, and vice president, Dylan Bauer, the club was able to take off. “

The Rowan SSDP Chapter worked on everything from overdose prevention to cannabis legalization, and their remarkable achievements—including their participation in various events, effective use of social media to spread awareness, and unwavering commitment to promoting safe drug use and advocating for policy reform—have set a high standard for other chapters to follow.

Rowan SSDP set precedent for SSDP Chapters by working with Blaze Responsibly and Wana Brands to host an expungement clinic—the first of our Breaking the Paper Shackles project.  The chapter “met folks where they were at” and planned the event at a local barber shop. Participants got a fresh cut, free food and drink, brand new headshots, and the chance to get their records expunged. All in all, the chater was able to help five impacted individuals achieve full clean slates, while another 15 people had their records checked.  

The Rowan crew hosted also several Overdose Recognition and Naloxone training sessions on campus. They even roped in the Rowan Basketball Team for Naloxone training! 

Last semester, Rowan made a huge impact promoting sensible drug policy in both New Jersey and in the halls of Congress. They helped organize a press conference and rally at the New Jersey State Assembly in support of S1393, a bill that allowed for home cultivation in New Jersey, and were a huge asset in D.C. during SSDP’s 420 Week of Unity, during which they met with their elected officials, demanded that the Biden Administration release all federal cannabis prisoners at a candlelight vigil in front of the White House, and helped out with expungement efforts.    

“My favorite event this year was going to D.C. to lobby for rescheduling and the release of cannabis prisoners,” said Ryan. “This experience was amazing for me because I was able to learn how to lobby with real-life experience, and I can translate this to local politics to work on grassroots change.”

The chapter has also been a major force for good in their community, whether they are preparing sandwiches for the Camden Cathedral Soup Kitchen, writing  letters to incarcerated cannabis prisoners, or organizing a massive Cannabis Industry Networking Night where over 100 students, activists, and industry players got a chance to rub shoulders and build fellowship.

A good chapter is led by a strong team and Ryan gives credit to his co-leaders for helping Rowan SSDP shine.

“Dylan Bauer was amazing in his VP role in supporting me and helping take things off my plate. Sydney inspired me every day to keep pushing when things weren’t going our way and is just an amazing human all around,” says Ryan. 

The eternal problem with campus organizing is turnover: as stellar chapter leaders and members graduate, it can be hard to keep a chapter running. Luckily, Rowan SSDP has a plan in place. 

Post-graduation,  Ryan will be running Clear Mindz LLC—the cannabis social justice initiative dedicated to cannawellness initiatives, educational seminars, & community engagement he founded—full time (Congrats, Ryan!), with fellow Rowan SSDP alum Sydney Turner and Kit Lillia joining his team. However, the chapter will remain in good hands with Dylan Bauer stepping up as President while Ryan remains in a graduate liaison role.

“I am now officially a Rowan Alumni so I will be supporting our new Rowan SSDP President, Dylan Bauer, in his new role as he looks to continue to build on the work we have done this past year,” says Ryan. 

Congratulations once again to Ryan Ems, Dylan Bauer, Sydney Turner, Chris Egurrola, Kit Lillia, and all the other members of Rowan SSDP!

Thank you for embodying the spirit and mission of SSDP with your enthusiasm and dedication.

We are incredibly proud of all that you have accomplished and look forward to seeing your continued success and influence. Your hard work has truly made a difference.