SSDP Event: Follow The Money! Taking Federal Action On Drug Policy Through Appropriations

Money. We all need it, and Congress has a lot of it.

In July, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill to allocate almost $69.5 million to expand syringe service programs – quadrupling the funding that was allocated last year. The Biden Administration has been slowly adopting more harm reduction-related language when discussing issues of drug policy but it is clear far more resources are going to be needed to heal our communities. This shift in Congressional funding points to shifting views on where to invest funds for federal and state drug-related programs, which is a positive sign for any drug policy reformer.

Additionally, Students for Sensible Drug Policy recently started our campaign to remove federal funding for aerial crop eradication of psychoactive plants in Colombia. This wasteful and violent use of our tax dollars to oppress indigenous farmers in Colombia must end, and that money shifted to repair the harms of the war on drugs.

This panel will teach you about the “power of the purse”, and provide you with recommendations from drug policy reformers on how to pull the congressional purse strings to shift funding from oppressive policies to programs grounded in science, reason, and compassion. 

Join us for this important event! This event starts tomorrow, December 7th, from 6-7:00pm EST. Register here to attend.