SSDP Chapter Leaders Newsletter April 2013

Hi there SSDP rockstars, Happy Spring! As promised, here is what’s new and on the horizon for Students for Sensible Drug Policy.   Take action

• CA: Help Reform Drug Possession Penalties in California
• NY: Support Medical Marijuana Legislation in New York
• CT: Support Good Samaritan Policies on School Campuses in Connecticut
• MO: Pass a Good Samaritan Policy in Missouri
• MA: Help Legalize Marijuana in Massachusetts
• NH: Help pass a Good Samaritan Policy in New Hampshire
• RI: Help Legalize Marijuana in Rhode Island
• MD: Legalize Marijuana in Maryland
• WV: Medical Marijuana in West Virginia
• FL: Florida Syringe Exchange
• FEDERAL: The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013

See a list of all of our actions here, including older pieces of legislation.   New SSDP chapters We’re so proud to welcome the following schools as the newest additions to the SSDP chapter network:

• Green Mountain College – Poultney, Vermont
• University of Nebraska, Omaha – Omaha, Nebraska
• Christopher Newport University – Newport News, Virginia

  From our blog April 9: Who Needs The AMPLIFY Project?  SSDP chapter leader, and AMPLIFY Regional Coordinator, Evan Eisenberg, talks about his experience with the AMPLIFY project, and the role music has in social justice reform. April 1: SSDP Updates 911 Good Samaritan Policy Database
 We’ve updated our database of colleges and universities with 911 Good Samaritan (also referred to as medical amnesty) policies! We found and catalogued 186 institutions and 21 states with such policies in place. Read more about it and see the full list on our blog. March 28: Florida, Your Help is Needed to Get HB 1139, the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, a Fair Hearing Last week, we asked you to take action to help move Florida HB 1139, the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, forward. Thank you so much for those of you who took action! The next step necessary to passing this sensible legislation is to get House Speaker Will Weatherford to give it a fair and public hearing in the House Health Quality Subcommittee March 26: SSDP Welcomes the University of Nebraska Omaha Chapter I am so excited to announce the formation of our newest official chapter, the University of Nebraska Omaha! Led by chapter founder Sarah Merrigan, UNO is in our Mountain Plains region and is currently our only chapter in Nebraska. March 26: Announcing SSDP’s Newest Chapter: Green Mountain College We’re pleased to announce that SSDP gained another chapter in the Northeast Region this week, as Green Mountain College SSDP became officially recognized on campus. March 22: Let’s Talk About Drug War Economics This Tax Day, take action on your campus with SSDP as we use this unconventional day of activism to remind people about the cost of the war on drugs. March 21: SSDP Welcomes our First Ever Chapter in Sierra Leone Expanding our International Borders March 20: One Million Hours Spent A new report released last month shows us that during the last ten years, the NYPD has spent approximately 1,000,000 police hours arresting people for marijuana possession. In that time, they have managed to arrest over 440,000 people for minor marijuana charges. March 20: SSDP Welcomes the Christopher Newport University chapter Growing our network in Virginia! Upcoming events SSDP’s Tax Day Week of Action  NATIONWIDE – Monday April 15-19, 2013  This Tax Day, take action on your campus with SSDP as we use this unconventional day of activism to remind people about the cost of the war on drugs. SSDP Outreach Staff has prepared materials and ideas for you to bring to your campus. Sign up to take action today! Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Psychedelic Science 2013 OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – Friday April 19-21, 2013  At Psychedelic Science 2013, over 100 of the world’s leading researchers from more than 13 countries will present recent findings on the benefits and risks of LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca, ibogaine, 2C-B, ketamine, marijuana, and more, over three days of conference presentations, and two days of pre- and post-conference workshops. Second Annual West Coast SSDP Regional Camping Trip BELDEN, CALIFORNIA – Friday August 9-11, 2013  Last year’s West Coast Campout was such a success that this year our Alumni have started planning it earlier! This time we’re moving inland to the Sierra foothills, where it’s warmer and the water is much more inviting. This is a great event to keep the momentum going through the summer months. The Second Annual West Coast SSDP Regional Campout will be held in beautiful Belden, California. More information.     Thanks for everything that you do to help end the war on drugs. Keep up the great work! Sensibly, Drew Stromberg and Devon Tackels Outreach Directors Students for Sensible Drug Policy     If you aren’t receiving our newsletter via email and would like to, click here.