Students for Sensible Drug Policy is thrilled to welcome three new full-time staff members to our team. Rory O’Brien ’19 joins us as our first Communications Manager, Jacob Plowden ’15 joins as our New York State Coordinator, and Jeremy Sharp ’12 joins us as our Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator.

Rory O’Brien ‘19 (she/her/ella) is the Communications Manager for Students for Sensible Drug Policy and chapter leader of Minneapolis SSDP. In 2018, she started studying Addiction Counseling and is now also majoring in Sociology. Rory is an activist for major changes to address systemic racism and works in community partnership with local, national, and international in areas like overdose policy, the addiction treatment complex, mental health, reinvesting in the community, and human rights. In connection to her identity, she is a strong believer in decolonization, re-Indigenization, anti-racism, intersectionality, harm reduction, and trauma responsiveness.

Jacob Plowden ’15 (he/him/his) is a graduate of CUNY Baruch College and started in drug policy with Students for Sensible Drug Policy in 2015. He has organized events around understanding harm reduction with a hands-on approach through education about the economic effects of the War on Drugs.

He is also a co-founder and Deputy Director of Cannabis Cultural Association (C). CannaCultural is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in New York City that helps marginalized and underrepresented communities engage in legal cannabis industry opportunities, emphasizing criminal justice reform, access to medical cannabis, and adult use legalization.

Jeremy Sharp ’12 (he/him/his) is a convicted felon who graduated from the University of North Georgia (UNG) with a Bachelors’s in Political Science and a Concentration in Pre-Law (2020). He is the co-owner of Dahlonega Walking Tours and Grapes and Ghost Wine Tasting Room. Jeremy currently works for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) as an outreach coordinator.

He is a founding member of Georgia Overdose Prevention, and regularly advises on implementation of Harm Reduction Policies from the local to international level.

Since college, Jeremy has worked as a Syringe Services Provider for the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, and as an Alumni Director and Overdose Prevention Instructor at Mt. Sinai Wellness Center in Dahlonega Georgia. He currently serves on the Newtown Florist Club Public Policy Committee, and in an advisory role for Peachtree NORML.

Jeremy also works diligently as an advocate for people dealing with Substance Use Disorder, offers free peer support services, and distributes Naloxone to persons who may witness or experience an opioid overdose.

Welcome aboard Rory, Jake, and Jeremy!