SSDP Takes D.C. by Storm for the 2025 Cannabis Week of Unity

During the last week of April, Washington D.C. buzzed with energy as advocates, industry leaders, and policymakers converged for Cannabis Week of Unity. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) members were right in the heart of the action, bringing the crucial perspective of young people demanding justice, equity, and sensible cannabis reform. From high-level policy discussions to grassroots lobbying, here’s a look back at our impactful week on the ground…

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) staffers, student chapter leaders, and dedicated volunteers turned Washington D.C. into the epicenter of cannabis advocacy, joining forces with a truly bipartisan coalition of fellow activists, industry leaders, and policymakers as part of the 2025 Cannabis Week of Unity. 

As a founding member of the Cannabis Unity Coalition–a collective of 30+ organizations across the political spectrum coming together to advance federal cannabis reform—SSDP was instrumental in driving forward a unified message. The Coalition stands firm on three core goals: to legalize cannabis at the federal level, secure the immediate release of all individuals imprisoned for federal cannabis offenses, and ensure their criminal records are expunged accordingly.

The Cannabis Unity Coalition’s impactful presence in D.C. all week was significantly amplified by the groundwork laid in the preceding weeks, during which SSDPers played a key role in achieving consensus among advocates on the 11 distinct legislative pathways for comprehensive cannabis reform at federal level. 

Furthermore, the overwhelming response from SSDP supporters to our 4/20 action alert was a critical factor in our ability to secure meetings with prominent legislators during the Cannabis Week of Unity. With this powerful momentum, SSDP members brought the vital perspective of young people to the forefront, championing justice, equity, and sensible cannabis policies in high-level discussions and grassroots lobbying efforts alike.

Monday: Kicking Off with Policy and Networking

The week’s advocacy and festivities commenced with an early start on Monday, April 28th, as SSDP representatives from across the US of A actively participated in the National Cannabis Festival Policy Summit, hosted at the MLK Memorial Library. 

As an Advocacy Partner, not only did SSDP help curate the topics and speakers for the conference, but SSDP members were a visible presence throughout the day, managing our information table and interacting with hundreds of other advocates.

A standout moment featured our Executive Director, Kat Murti, who shared her expertise on the “Bipartisan Solutions to Federal Cannabis Policy Challenges” panel, highlighting the importance of working across the political spectrum in advancing the discussion on cannabis reform.

Kat noted the complex cultural perceptions surrounding cannabis use, stating, “A lot of people who voted for Trump smoke weed, but it’s become coded within the culture more as this sort of like liberal left wing thing. so even though they themselves might consume cannabis there, they still use it as this code to push back on.”

As a nonpartisan organization that brings young people of all political and ideological orientations together to have honest conversations about drugs and drug policy, SSDP has played a key role in bridging the political divides necessary to finally end the War on Cannabis. 

“I often find myself floating in this bipartisan/nonpartisan space of trying to get people together to get people free,” said Kat. 

The energy from the summit seamlessly transitioned to an elegant post-summit reception held on the MLK Library rooftop. This gathering offered a fantastic chance for our members to connect directly with speakers, business leaders, and passionate community members. Against the backdrop of a beautiful D.C. evening, these interactions fostered collaborations and strengthened our coalition.

Tuesday: Press, Preparation, and Packing

Tuesday morning kicked off with a powerful display of solidarity as SSDP joined our fellow Cannabis Unity Coalition partners on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol. With SSDP signs held high, our members proudly stood alongside SSDP Executive Director Kat Murti at the podium as she delivered an impassioned speech highlighting the moral injustice that “a quarter of a million people were arrested in the United States for marijuana charges in 2023… [and of those arrests] 92%… were for civil possession.” 

“It is not enough to simply treat the symptoms of bad cannabis policy,” said Murti, adding that, “we must fix the problem at its roots.”

In addition to SSDP’s robust press conference presence, representatives from fellow unity coalition members—including Freedom Grow, Balanced Veterans Network (BVN), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Last Prisoner Project, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), and more—all of whom stood united in the Cannabis Unity Coalition’s call for comprehensive cannabis descheduling and vital retroactive justice for those harmed by prohibition.

The event was made even more impactful by the presence of key congressional allies, including Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Representative Dina Titus (D-NV). A pivotal moment arrived when Representative Titus formally introduced her groundbreaking Evidence Based Drug Policy Act directly at the press conference. This crucial piece of legislation, which SSDP had diligently worked with Representative Titus’s office to help develop and get introduced prior to the Cannabis Week of Unity, aims to ensure that federal drug policies are rooted in scientific evidence and public health principles, rather than outdated stigmas.

The momentum continued into the afternoon, as the focus shifted to the Capitol Hill Visitors Center for the official Cannabis Unity Week Welcome Ceremony. This session was invaluable, arming advocates with essential tools for effective engagement. Participants benefited from comprehensive lobbying training and a series of insightful deep-dive presentations from various Unity Coalition leaders. These presentations meticulously explained the key pieces of legislation that SSDPers would spend the remainder of the week championing in meetings across Capitol Hill and beyond.

Later that evening, it was all hands on deck back at SSDP HQ for a vibrant unity coalition info packing party. SSDPers meticulously assembled 600 informational folders to be used in scheduled meetings and informational drop-ins, ensuring that every single Congressional office would receive comprehensive materials on our legislative priorities. This crucial preparation session also included final training and strategy discussions, ensuring everyone felt confident, informed, and ready for the direct advocacy and lobbying efforts scheduled for the following day.

Wednesday: Taking the Hill – SSDP Lobby Day!

Wednesday was dedicated to making our voices heard throughout the halls of Congress. After gathering for a unified group photo bright and early, our members broke into teams for the Cannabis Unity Coalition’s collective Lobby Day. Across all congressional and senatorial office buildings, SSDP took a leading role in the ambitious goal of ensuring that materials advocating for descheduling and retroactive justice reached every single office in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives—all 535 of them!

Sydney Turner, a leader from Rowan University’s SSDP chapter, shared her perspective on the significance of these unified efforts. “In my second year attending Unity Week with SSDP, I am continually impressed by how each year brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds, uniting to amplify the voices of community members in D.C.,” she reflected. Turner emphasized the personal stake for advocates, stating, “I firmly believe that ‘The War on Drugs is a War on Us,’ and it is essential for our lawmakers to understand how these policies impact us as citizens, as well as the changes we wish to see within our communities.”

This deeply felt conviction fueled the day’s determined advocacy. Turner recounted her direct engagement with policymakers: “Walking into numerous senators’ offices, including New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, was an inspiring experience, as I helped in teams to advocate for the 11 bills and further appreciated the opportunity to discuss how the Safe Banking Act can positively influence industry owners, our community members, and myself as a college student—including access to paid internships and scholarship opportunities stemming from this industry.”

“Overall, Unity Week sent a strong message,” Turner concluded. “As countless amazing individuals and organizations came together to address the issues faced by our communities nationwide.” The day concluded back at the Airbnb, where members could debrief, share experiences, and celebrate the massive effort over a well-deserved dinner.

Thursday: Direct Advocacy and Rallying for Freedom

The direct engagement continued on Thursday, May 1st, with a series of scheduled meetings with key legislative offices to discuss SSDP’s cannabis platform and push for meaningful reform. We were proud to secure meetings and share our perspectives with the offices of Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and others. We even had a meeting with the House Judiciary Committee staff! Arriving early and prepared, our teams represented SSDP’s mission effectively.

The week culminated in the powerful Great American Cannabis Freedom Rally at Lafayette Square, right across from the White House. The message was clear: Free all cannabis prisoners and honor those whose lives have been unjustly impacted by prohibition.

Following a rousing series of opening remarks from Last Prisoner Project constituents, SSDPers in attendance took the stage to stand alongside Executive Director Kat Murti, SSDP Houston Community Chapter leader Ceejay Blake, and SSDP Board Members Jeanette McKenzie and gina Vensel, each of whom addressed the crowd in fittingly fiery terms. 

Murti kicked off SSDP’s portion of the rally line up with a nod back to the theme. “As a mother, a wife, a homeowner, and an American, I believe in the American Dream, but, the American Dream does not exist for far too many Americans,” she said, calling out the many people harmed by the War on Cannabis, including “the 600 Americans who are arrested for marijuana every single day…the tens of thousands who cannot access higher education, who cannot get a mortgage or a business loan, who cannot be a class parent or chaperone their child’s field trips, and who are effectively locked out of our economy because of a decades-old cannabis charge…the nearly 3,000 Americans who are serving long term sentences—some of them life sentences—in federal prison (and tens of thousands more at the state and local levels) for conduct involving amounts of cannabis that are far less than what dispensaries handle on a daily basis…[and]…the communities who have been torn apart by the War on Drugs.”

McKenzie, a Dallas-Fort Worth area resident who also serves as the Texas Cannabis Collective’s Director of People, spoke directly to her experience both as a victim of the war on people who use drugs and a tireless advocate on the front lines in Texas pushing back against the hotly-contested legislative effort to ban most Hemp-derived products across the Lone Star state.

Ceejay Blake—a former SSDP Chapter leader at the University of Houston, Ketamine-Assisted Therapy practitioner, and current drug policy reform advocate with the Psychedelic Society of Texas—delivered what was the afternoon’s most entertaining and politically diverse call to action by urging her fellow advocacy leader to, “do what Biden could not do, and give a voice to these conservatives, these Republicans, [and[ to everybody that wants to see this plant used safely.”

SSDP Director of Communications and Events gina vensel’s remarks struck a fittingly dual-tone of inspiration  by way of collective action and  heartbreak alike. “I stand here as a proud parent inspired by this united coalition from across the aisle, standing together aligned against the harms caused by the failed War on Drugs” proclaimed vensel, adding that “my heart aches for every cannabis prison, city behind bars stripped away from their families and their children while other people are able to profit from this plant.”

Conclusion

The 2025 Cannabis Week of Unity powerfully showcased the significant and growing impact of student advocacy. Members of Students for Sensible Drug Policy were at the forefront, demonstrating exceptional leadership and tirelessly championing equitable cannabis policies throughout the week’s events in Washington, D.C. The dedication and passion of these student advocates were palpable.

“It was amazing to see the enthusiasm and energy that every organization brought to Cannabis Week of Unity,” said Zach Johnson, leader of the Fordham University chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and founding member of the NYC Community Chapter. “It truly felt like one big community. I learned so much from more experienced SSDPers and I look forward to coming back next year, hopefully with some progress having been made.”

It’s that same sentiment of shared purpose and learning that further underscores the strength and dynamic nature of the cannabis legalization movement… so, make no mistake: SSDP will be back in Washington, D.C. for Cannabis Week of Unity next year, and every year thereafter, until cannabis is federally legalized and every individual imprisoned for cannabis offenses has been freed.

The fight for sensible drug policy continues, and SSDP will remain a vital force in that endeavor.