Tag: drug policy
Start Making Calls for Sensible Drug Policy
Drug decriminalization and psilocybin therapy are on the ballot for the first time ever in a U.S. state, making Election 2020 unprecedented for drug policy reform. With ballot measures on medical and adult-use cannabis legalization, psilocybin therapy, low-level drug decriminalization, and expanded funding for harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services, our progress as a movement hinges on us activating voters
SSDP Country Highlight: Lebanon (Part 2)
This is the second part of our Global Country Highlight on Lebanon. If you have not seen the first part, please click here. Civil Society In my view, the NGOs working in Lebanon set a fantastic example for activists everywhere, covering key areas of policy change, network building, medical treatment, and harm reduction. Civil society’s interrelated web of activity demonstrates
Introducing Los Angeles Community College SSDP
Written by Lucca Pastore ‘20, Los Angeles Community College Chapter LeaderHow did you hear about SSDP?I heard about Students for Sensible Drug Policy through social media. Specifically Instagram, and even more specifically from an account called @25i_nbomeme. The admin of this account posts a lot of funny bilingual memes and also talks a lot about harm reduction on his page,
Introducing Two More Interns on the SSDP Global Team
At the start of the Fall semester, SSDP renewed our Policy Internship (now called “U.S. Federal Liaison”) and found our new Digital Communications Intern!Abhi Dewan ‘18 – United States Federal LiaisonAbhi is primarily responsible for assisting the development and implementation of SSDP’s United States federal legislative strategies and co-facilitating our United States Policy Council. Abhi is an advocate, a life-long
Fill Out Our SSDP Membership Survey
Authors: Mariah Gaither ’16, Rob Hofmann ’16, Luis Montoya ’16 As our organization continues to grow and operate through this incredibly turbulent year, we must make sure that our work is centering the desires and advocacy of our members. What would you like SSDP to do more of, or do a better job at? Is there something you want to
SSDP Country Highlight: Lebanon
Earlier this year, I was taken aback by civil society’s impressive commitment to drug policy reform and advocacy in Lebanon. As SSDP’s first Country Highlight, I’m excited to shine a spotlight on this beautiful and complicated country, to explore its drug laws, recent and important developments, and most importantly, share some of the fantastic work of civil society. In the
SSDP Statement on Breonna Taylor
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is enraged and disturbed over the decision made by the grand jury in the murder of Breonna Taylor to indict just one out of three officers involved with charges that were unrelated to her death. However, we are not surprised. The system that killed Breonna Taylor refuses to hold itself accountable time and time again.
SSDP Opens International Office
Students for Sensible Drug Policy has opened its International Office in Vienna, Austria. This historical move is an important step in the restructuring of SSDP’s Global Programs and will help SSDP’s operations become more reflective of the network’s global nature. Our new office is located at Impact Hub Vienna, an inspirational and diverse community of global changemakers. From there, Director
SSDP Statement on MORE Act Vote Postponement
Delaying the MORE Act is Postponing Justice for those Harmed by Marijuana Prohibition Students for Sensible Drug Policy is disappointed in the announcement to postpone the U.S. House vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Opportunity (MORE) Act (HR 3884), which had been announced for a vote the week of September 21st. This news is particularly disappointing because next week
Take Action: School Congress on Drug Policy
Our U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook has been updated!
Written by Rob Hofmann ‘16, U.S. Movement Building Fellow Our public-facing U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook document has been updated to include submissions through May 2020! As you may have noticed, we also changed the title of the document from the Campus Policy Gradebook to the U.S. Campus Policy Gradebook, since the positive and negative aspects highlighted in the Gradebook are
Updates from the 62nd Reconvened Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and How You Can Get Involved!
Written by Orsi Fehér ’16, SSDP’s European Global Fellow SSDP’s delegation to the 62nd reconvened session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) featured Jessica Steinberg from Oxford University, Panagiotis Sevris from SSDP Vienna, and Orsi Fehér, SSDP’s Global Fellow. While the session itself mainly dealt with administration and budgetary discussion and, as such, didn’t contain as much excitement as
Introducing New York Law School SSDP!
Written by Alana Hans ’19, Chapter Leader of New York Law School SSDP How did you hear about Students for Sensible Drug Policy? I met Scott Cecil at the Cannabis Law Institute at George Washington University Law School and he told me all about SSDP. Scott also mentioned he was a regular guest on a podcast titled Marijuana Today. I
Intersecting Movements: Drug Policy Reform and Climate Action
Are you coming to Reform Conference?
The International Drug Policy Reform Conference, hosted by Drug Policy Alliance, will be held in St. Louis from November 6th-9th, 2019. Reform Conference brings together more than 1,500 people who believe that the War on Drugs is a fundamental threat to freedom and human rights. You will be among a broad range of drug policy stakeholders – academics, health care
GUEST POST: COULD THE PORTUGUESE DRUG POLICY MODEL WORK HERE?
By Jason Beahm Jason Beahm is the Founder and President of Beahm Law (beahmlaw.com), a California law firm focused on DUI, criminal defense and personal injury. He is a guest panelist at the SSDP Pacific Regional Mini-Conference, November 4, 2017, at the University of California, Berkeley. I recently visited the city of Lisbon, Portugal, and discovered for myself just
Moving forward in the wake of a Trump presidency
As our executive director Betty Aldworth said in the wake of the 2016 elections, “Our fight has never been more important.” SSDP students participated in fantastic victories in almost every state in which marijuana policy was up for a vote. At the same time, with every cabinet appointment made by the newly elected president, it seems less and less
Marijuana Use Is An Asian American Issue Too
On November 8th of 2016, California made history by passing Proposition 64, also known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. As an Asian American woman who has fought for drug policy reform over the past five years, I am optimistic that this will have a positive impact on our community. However, as the daughter of Chinese immigrant parents, I
New Mexico 2016 Legislative Wrap-Up
In New Mexico, the legislative session only lasts thirty days in even numbered years and sixty days in odd-numbered years. My overall takeaway after being at the Roundhouse for fourteen of those thirty days is that it’s an impossibly short amount of time to thoughtfully debate and vote on legislation. This system cripples meaningful debate and leaves the legislature impotent
SSDP Introduces our 2016 State Policy Interns
Pushing the State Policy Envelope As our national staff continues to grow, we are very excited to announce that we are piloting new state policy internships in New Mexico, New York, and Arizona this year. The State Policy Interns are primarily responsible for monitoring, analyzing, reporting on, and developing appropriate student response to state-level drug policy, particularly those policies which
SSDP2014 conference session sneak peek
Today we are proud to announce some of the topics that will be covered at next month’s Students for Sensible Drug Policy Conference and Lobby Day! From the role of privilege and the war on drugs, to keeping festival and concert-goers safe, to how to get a job in the emerging legal cannabis industry, speakers will share their expertise and experiences on
Onwards & Upwards – AMPLIFY in 2014!
We’re coming off the heels of our most expansive & intensive year yet and definitely don’t have any plans of slowing down. We could not be happier to share highlights from this past year with you all PLUS announce our Winter/Spring tour dates & new staff additions for 2014! 2013 Achievements & Milestones: Set up at 75+ partnered
Announcing the Campus Drug Policy Gradebook
SSDP is proud to present its Campus Drug Policy Gradebook! SSDP analyzed the drug and alcohol policies of the top 300 U.S. schools according to Forbes Magazine. From this analysis, SSDP created the Gradebook, a resource which provides both a grade for each school and recommendations for improvement. How Schools Are Graded Campus drug policies were evaluated according to several
New Report, Old Solutions on International Drug Day
Today is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has released a new report encouraging people to stay healthy by abstaining from drug use. The report expounds more on the dangers of drugs and the necessity of discouraging their use, emphasizing in particular the risks presented by the plethora
3 Drug Policy Activism Boot Camps this spring
These events serve to unite the SSDP chapter network for a day of training, workshops, discussion, networking, and expert presentations aimed to help us refine our skills as advocates for ending the destructive war on drugs. Interactive sessions and workshops will be led by Aaron Houston, Stacia Cosner, Drew Stromberg, and Devon Tackels of the SSDP national staff. The staff will guide participants through activities
