Tag: drug policy reform
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
SSDP Hangouts Presents Spooky Policies
Join us on Thursday, October 30th at 7pm ET to discuss the spookiest side of policy, the ones in desperate need of reform! Come hang out with other SSDP folks, give and get advice for a successful semester, and meet our national board members. This event is open to the entire SSDP family: affiliates, alumni, members, chapter leaders, and more. If you’re no longer
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,
Support for AB 602, California’s Campus Overdose Prevention Act
SSDP is submitting a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office urging him to sign AB 602, the Campus Overdose Prevention Act. The bill will protect students from receiving disciplinary action when they call for assistance or are victims of an overdose-related incident. Shifting campus responses from punishment to health-centered approaches through counseling, education, and treatment options ensures students can
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,
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
Illinois weighs psychedelic-assisted therapy in landmark CURE Act – Chicago Health
Chicago Health reports that the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens (CURE) Act is the first major effort to legalize clinical use of psilocybin in the state of Illinois. The legislation would establish a licensing system and advisory board to allow qualified practitioners to administer psilocybin for mental health treatment. While the bill has steadily gained support among lawmakers, deeply entrenched stigma
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
Beyond the New Frontier – Arctic Visions Conference & SSDP Fundraiser This Week
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is dedicated to growing a strong and diverse nationwide network of advocates united to end the War on Drugs. We are eager to meet with local ambassadors in Anchorage, Alaska this week as we travel beyond the new frontier to build community, share knowledge, and expand our membership. Join us at the Arctic Visions Psychedelic
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
Student Activists Petition to End Cannabis, Plant Medicine Censorship on Instagram by Meta – Heady NJ
Heady NJ reports that Students for Sensible Drug Policy leads the way through online efforts to fight the ongoing censorship and banning of cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction organizations. “It is vital that evidence-based, life-saving information is not censored. Harm reduction and drug education save lives. Cannabis and psychedelic therapies are supported by rigorous scientific research and show promise for
FDA & DEA Move to Criminalize 7-OH
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classify 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The Department of Health & Human Services sent a press release this past Tuesday, July 25, that the FDA is taking steps to restrict 7-OH products. SSDP strongly opposes
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
Cat Packer on Cannabis, Equity, and Reform in mg Magazine
SSDP’s friend and colleague, Cat Packer, graced the cover of mg Magazine, the leading national trade outlet for cannabis industry professionals. As the first person of color to head a cannabis regulatory agency, Cat helped build the system. Now she’s working to make it more equitable, and she mentions her collaboration with SSDP in the article. mg Magazine reports, “In
SSDP’s Gina Giorgio Interviewed On North Carolina’s Spectrum News 1
Gina Giorgio, SSDP’s Director of Strategy and Development and Founder of the North Carolina Psychedelic Policy Coalition, was interviewed by NC television news station Spectrum News 1 about the formation of the North Carolina Psychedelic Policy Coalition in her home state, and the impact that psychedelic could have on supporting mental health patients. New psychedelic studies are underway at UNC
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
SSDP’s Ullman Testifies at the United Nations
Last month, SSDP Science Policy Committee Co-founder Dr. Elijah Ullman traveled to Vienna, Austria to represent SSDP at the 68th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to deliver an official statement strongly urging international lawmakers to prevent poorly planned drug scheduling regulations from halting vital scientific research. For reference, Dr. Ullman’s testimony has been included in full
SSDP Bicoastal Blitz Part 2
Happy Thursday! Wherever you are in the world, we hope that your week is off to a productive start so far.As many readers may already be well-aware, the entire SSDP team has been incredibly busy so far this year with back-to-back multi-conference weekends to end the month of March, along with a lengthy list of SSDP chapter gatherings, community events,
Top Five Reasons from 2023 to Support SSDP in 2024!
2023 was a big year for SSDP—we saw big staff changes (we have a new ED!), we made big policy changes, and we just generally did some amazing work to save lives and END the War on Drugs. Throughout it all, one thing remains true: SSDP is still the most widespread, effective, and intersectional youth drug policy organization in the
