Note from the team

As April drew to a close, SSDP members and supporters came together to create #Sensible2020: The Virtual Drug Policy Conference. Drug policy reformers, advocates, direct service providers, and people who use drugs came together to exchange learning and strategies for sustaining and fortifying our work through the coronavirus crisis. In the Q&A, on social media, and on our new Slack channel for chapter members and alumni, we saw people making the same kinds of connections that make the IRL conference so valuable. We heard about what members are activating around and got inspired by how they are addressing emerging issues in real-time with that typical SSDP creativity. In the coming weeks and months, keep an eye out for those videos and much more digital content from the team and members as we adapt our work to the new reality everywhere we are active. 

And thank you! Thanks to the hundreds of people who pulled together to make this conference so magical. Thank you to the sponsors who supported it, the speakers who volunteered their time and shared so much, the session organizers who worked behind the scenes, and the donors who make our work possible every day of the year. If you haven’t already, please check out our digital swag bag for some discounts from our partners plus music and podcast playlists curated just for you. 

Sensibly, 

Your SSDP Global Team

P.S. We’re hiring! Are you passionate about ethical and sustainable fundraising or know someone else who is? Check out the SSDP Development Director job posting. 

Action Alerts 

• Demand MORE and support U.S. federal legislation legalizing marijuana with reparative justice.
• Call on U.S. Congress to treat the overdose crisis as a public health emergency and move the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2019.
• Support higher education opportunities for all U.S. students through comprehensive reform of the Higher Education Act with the repeal of the Aid Elimination Penalty and access to Pell Grants for incarcerated students.

New Activists and Chapters

• SSDP France (France)
• SSDP Brazil (Brazil)
• Portland Community College (United States)
• Oswego and Onondaga County SSDP (United States)
• University of Montana (United States)

CAT Leaderboard

Click here to view the Chapter Activity Tracker 

1. University of California Santa Cruz
2. University of Pittsburgh
3. Ferris State University
4. DePaul University
5. Michigan State University
6. Ohio State University
7. Oakland Community College
8. University of Texas Austin
9. Arizona State University Downtown
10. George Washington University

Stats

• 429 people from 29 countries attended 3 days of amazing panels at #Sensible2020
• 157 members activated our new SSDP Family slack channel — join them today!
• 63 books added to our new recommended reading list
• 29 policy analyses added to the U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook 
• 118 peer educators currently engaged in Just Say Know drug education training
• 21 new members working to establish SSDP chapters and Ambassadorships
• 1 Luis Montoya ‘16 promoted to Program Director!

Network highlights

• Carolina Subow ‘19 designed unique Support. Don’t Punish stickers to be distributed to chapters across the globe for the global day of action. 
• Carolina Subow ‘19 is releasing Youtube videos on drugs & policy in Europe. If you speak German, check out her latest video entitled “Drogenpolitik in Deutschland”. 
• Moronfolu Adeniyi ‘14 moderated the Students for Liberty 4/20 Webinar African Edition. 
• Ruby Lawlor ‘17 and Beatrix Vas ‘19  were accepted as members of the YouthRISE International Working Group.
• Arizona State University Downtown SSDP passed a resolution through their student government urging the school to adopt a medical amnesty policy.
• Point Park University SSDP won the “New Outstanding Student Organization” award from their school.

Just Say Know Drug Education Roundup

In the April edition of the roundup, our Director of Drug Education shares some of the latest in cannabis and alcohol research, highlights some efforts in overdose prevention, provides updates on how COVID-19 is impacting drug consumption and policy reform efforts, and more!

SSDP in the news

• A Cannabis Offense Should Never Be A Death Sentence – Forbes
• Athens-Clarke County Commission candidate Michael Stapor pushes for young people to spark change – Red and Black
• 20 ways to address marijuana reform amid COVID | TheHill – The Hill
• News Features: UGA Student Challenges Incumbent Commissioner in District 4 – Flagpole Magazine
• The Importance Of Advocacy And Social Responsibility In The Cannabis Industry – Forbes
• Civil Rights And Racial Justice Groups Ask Congress To Let Marijuana Industry Access COVID Funds – Marijuana Moment

From the blog

• SSDP Stands in solidarity with the youth-led climate movement for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day
• SSDP Psychedelic Pipeline Newsletter – Issue 1
• Announcing the #Sensible2020 Virtual Conference Program
• Introducing SSDP’s Oswego and Onondaga County Ambassador

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. 

• June 26 | Everywhere | Support. Don’t Punish. Global Day of Action
• September 19 | Washington, DC, USA | National Cannabis Festival
• September 26-27 | Philadelphia, PA, USA | PABJ Presents: The Cannatlantic Conference
• October 15-20 | San Juan, PR, USA | 13th National Harm Reduction Conference
• November 20-21 | Chicago, IL, USA | NECANN Illinois

Recommended reading and resources

• Betty Aldworth: A tale of two epidemics: When COVID-19 and opioid addiction collide 
• Erica Darragh ‘14: DanceSafe, The Climate Crisis, And How It All Ties Together In The Social Justice Movement: A Response
• Róisín Downes ‘15: Drug policy in Africa: Towards a human rights-based approach
• Rob Hofmann ‘16: ACLU Underlines That Racial Justice Takes More Than Just Marijuana Legalization
• Vilmarie Narloch ‘09: How bars and nightclubs can help prevent fentanyl-involved deaths
• Eric Sterling *99: How the Illicit Drug Trade Is Adapting to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Member discounts & givebacks

• Dip Devices’ Dipper – Get 15% off and give 15% to us with code “SSDP”
• Dip Devices’ EVRI – 1% of all sales go to SSDP & MPP 
• Gift your credit card rewards to SSDP with Charity Charge 
• Find your next employee with H2 Talent or THC Staffing & a portion of your fees will be donated
• 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
• PABJ Presents: The Cannatlantic Conference – Get 50% off registration with discount code “SSDP”