Tag: cannabis
SSDP’s Hosts Lobby Days in Pennsylvania to Legalize Cannabis
SSDP’s PA Cannabis Day of Unity brought together a bipartisan coalition in support of legalizing cannabis for adult use in Pennsylvania. On Monday, October 27, SSDP hosted a booth in the Main Rotunda of the State Capitol, and dropped off literature to the PA House & Senate in support of cannabis legalization. The following morning on Tuesday, October 28, SSDP
Stop Cannabis Recriminalization in Massachusetts!
Two dangerous ballot initiatives, 25-09 and 25-10, threaten to undermine cannabis legalization in Massachusetts. Since Massachusetts voters legalized adult-use cannabis in 2016, the state has reduced arrests, lowered youth use rates, and created a thriving, regulated industry–but all this is at risk if these measures pass. Don’t let prohibitionists take away the great progress Massachusetts has made in advancing cannabis equity! If passed,
A Policy Statement on Cannabis Rescheduling in The Pharmacologist
SSDP Ambassador and former chair of SSDP’s Science Policy Committee, Elijah Ullman, PhD, co-authored the Cover Story of the August edition of The Pharmacologist focused on Cannabis Rescheduling as part of the ASPET (American Society forPharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics) Drug Research Policy Subcommittee. The policy statement discusses how drug scheduling can also create a regulatory burden that negatively impacts research,
Oaksterdam enrolls live cannabis & hemp training programs starting mid-September
Our educational partners at Oaksterdam University will host three amazing live training programs starting mid-September that may interest you in getting future-ready. Oaksterdam University is the global leader in cannabis education, providing the highest quality training to entrepreneurs, regulators, educators, and people interested in a career in the cannabis industry. These programs combine real-time Zoom classes with nationally recognized experts with
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act Has Been Reintroduced
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) applauds the reintroduction of the MORE Act as a critical step toward dismantling the failed war on cannabis. For far too long, cannabis has remained classified as a Schedule I substance; defined as having a “high potential for abuse with no recognized medical use.” Despite 24 states fully legalizing cannabis and 47 states permitting
Reps. Nadler, Titus, Omar, and Velázquez Reintroduce Comprehensive Marijuana Reform Legislation
Today, August 29th 2025, Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), along with Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (NV-01) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills ever introduced in the U.S. Congress. In a press release on Congressman Nadler’s
Pennsylvania Cannabis Legalization: A Bipartisan Bill for Adult Use
We are excited to announce a bipartisan cannabis legalization bill that SSDP is supporting in Pennsylvania! This is the best chance for a unified approach to get adult use passed in PA, and we need your help. Please read more to learn how you can join us in the fight for legalization. WHAT IS THE BILL? PA SB120 is “An Act
From Arrest to Advocacy: Jason Ortiz’s Mission to End Cannabis Injustice – Stupid Dope
We are delighted to see former SSDP Executive Director, Jason Ortiz, was featured in Stupid Dope discussing his story. He was arrested at age 16 for cannabis possession during his junior year of high school, and became involved with SSDP at college, and which has led him to become an lifelong activist. At the University of Connecticut, Ortiz joined Students for
Cannabis Fest hits Pittsburgh aiming to educate and promote – Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Students for Sensible Drug Policy tabled at the Pittsburgh Cannabis Festival on August 10, and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette interviewed gina vensel, SSDP’s Director of Communications and events. In their article entitled, “Cannabis Fest hits Pittsburgh aiming to educate and promote,” the Pittsburgh PG highlighted the advocacy work that SSDP is doing to get cannabis legalized. “Gina Vensel, the director
SSDP at the 5th Annual Pittsburgh Cannabis Festival
SSDP is excited to return to the Pittsburgh Cannabis Festival at Allegheny Commons Park on Sunday, August 10th from Noon-5PM. The festival is free and open to the public. No medical card is needed to attend. The event will promote health, wellness, education, and advocacy that explores the PA medical marijuana industry and celebrates the growing cannabis culture in Pennsylvania.
Adam J. Smith Appointed Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project – Cannabis Science & Technology
Cannabis Science & Technology reports on Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)‘s announcement of their new Executive Director, Adam J. Smith, who has 30 years of experience in drug policy reform and advocacy, including starting Students for Sensible Drug Policy! “I’m honored and excited to join the dedicated team at MPP and to build upon the organization’s extraordinary legacy in advancing sensible
USDA Database Describes Marijuana As ‘Medicinal’ Even As Federal Government Keeps It In Schedule I
Marijuana Moment reports, “While the U.S. government still officially considers marijuana a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use, federal agencies are increasingly breaking with that position. In one notable example, an entry in a Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant database describes the use of Cannabis sativa as having “medicinal” uses.” Kat Murti, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy,
Facebook And Instagram Seem To Have Stopped Censoring Search Results For ‘Marijuana’ And ‘Cannabis’ – Marijuana Moment
Meta appears to have rolled back a restriction on searches for words like “marijuana” and “cannabis,” says Marijuana Moment. The company has received criticism that their censorship was overbroad and limited access to education, public health information and political advocacy. Kat Murti, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, called the updated search function “wonderful news” but noted that
Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 Introduced to Congress – Cannabis Science and Technology
Cannabis Science and Technology reports that Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar recently introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 to Congress, which hopes to change restrictions on cannabis research. The article mentions SSDP as an organization in support of this new legislation. “Our nation’s drug policies have been shaped by stigma. The American people overwhelmingly support cannabis
The Price of Cannabis Prohibition: Profits, Public Health, and the Case for Legalization – Harvard Independent
Harvard Independent’s Weed Issue this month featured considerations for the case of cannabis legalization. This student-led paper discussed the potential public health risks noting that risks could be managed within a regulatory framework. In the article, Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, a criminologist, sociologist, and associate professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto, is interviewed about his research
420 Week of Unity: Students for Sensible Drug Policy to Join Largest Evera Bip-Partisan Coalition of Cannabis Advocates, Industry, and Grassroots Organizations Calling for Cannabis Decriminalization during Cannabis Summit in Washington, DC
30+ Organizations Join Forces for 420 Unity Day of Action Press Conference, Lobby Day, and White House Candlelight Vigil Primary Press Contact: Maya Tatum, Press Secretary, mayaatatumm@gmail.com Secondary Press Contact: Kat Murti, SSDP Executive Director, kat@ssdp.org #420WeekOfUnity #BidenRelease420Prisoners #DescheduleCannabisNow Washington D.C. – On Wednesday, April 17th at 9 am, Students for Sensible Drug Policy will join a bi-partisan coalition of
SSDP Welcomes gina vensel to Board of Directors
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is elated to welcome our newest appointed Board member, gina vensel. gina’s addition to the board is an exciting time for our organization, and we are looking forward to integrating her vast expertise in advocacy, marketing, fundraising, event coordination, and combating stigma into our work. gina vensel is a marketing and media professional, events
