In spite of the many challenges of 2020, Students for Sensible Drug Policy made some incredible accomplishments this year. Through the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic, upending of campus life, and rapid shifts in change-making strategies, we’ve seen our network members step up and reinvent the ways we organize. SSDP’s vision of a post-prohibition future where safety, justice, and
Author: Iulia Vatau ‘20, Chapter Leader Tell me a bit about yourself: what do you study, what are your interests and why have you decided to start a chapter? My name’s Iulia and I am a second-year student at University College London, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in History and Politics of the Americas. My courses introduced me and gradually sparked
Written by John Molloy, a member of the University at Albany SSDP chapter. I will begin this post with a bold statement: we have enough people marching. We have enough people talking about our struggle, even if the mainstream media pays precious little attention. What we don’t have, however, is enough people in city halls, in legislative buildings, on state
Written by Joe Melton, Vice President of Virginia Tech SSDP On April 20th, a couple months of planning came to fruition for SSDP chapters across Virginia as the ReVAMP campaign was finally kicked into gear. ReVAMP stands for Repealing Virginia Marijuana Prohibition and is primarily an effort to make the voices of Virginian youth heard on the issue of cannabis prohibition.
Written by SSDP NY State Policy Intern and New York University SSDP Chapter Leader Robert Belpasso IOur lobby day aimed to draw support for legislation that would declare criminal history screenings on the college application a discriminatory process. Senate Bill 969, introduced by Senator Velmanette Montgomery, would restrict all New York institutions of higher education from performing criminal history screenings
Written by SSDP Board Member, Jeremy Sharp The “Wild Hog Supper” is a tradition in Georgia Politics. The event is held annually and is hosted by the Georgia Food Bank Association. The premise of the event is to serve as a means for legislators, lobbyist, and engaged citizens to mingle and talk about the upcoming legislative session. In partnership with
Written by West Chester University SSDP Alum Genevieve Wiley SSDP is hosting a Pennsylvania Lobby Day for Medical Marijuana this Friday, February 20th at the state capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators Daylin Leach (D-17) and Mike Folmer (R-48) have officially re-introduced SB 3, a largely unchanged version of the medical marijuana bill (SB 1182) that passed the senate at the end
Written by George Washington University SSDP chapter member Aria Mildice The Virginia Lobby Day with NORML this past Friday, January 16th, was my first time lobbying. Virginia NORML organized this lobby day with Senators and Delegates from the Virginia General Assembly to lobby for S.B. 686, which would decriminalize marijuana possession throughout the state. S.B. 686 was introduced in the
Written by VCU SSDP co-President Rose Bono Our SSDP chapter has been working on getting a medical amnesty (Good Samaritan) policy passed for several years now. We started locally, asking Virginia Commonwealth University to adopt this sensible policy. Unfortunately, we were told that because our school is under the city’s jurisdiction and the city is under the state’s jurisdiction, VCU
Written by Emma Tuttleman-Kriegler, Vice President of Tulane Students for Sensible Drug Policy. On June 16th, 2013, I brought a simple message to Louisiana’s Senators and Representatives: Let states decide. Alongside more than 50 students from 22 different SSDP chapters, I called on our nation’s elected officials to respect states’ rights and end federal marijuana prohibition. Strategies Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s (SSDP) Federal Marijuana Lobby Day
I am excited to announce that Students for Sensible Drug Policy will be holding a reception on Capitol Hill next Monday, June 17th, at the conclusion of our Federal Marijuana Lobby Day featuring special guest speakers Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and conservative stalwart Grover Norquist. As we join together on the Capitol grounds, we aim to bring together some of
Our movement faces a critically limited window of time between now and this summer, when the U.S. House of Representatives may vote on an amendment that would seek to curtail DEA enforcement activities in states with legal marijuana markets. Join SSDP for a day of lobbying training, then head to Capitol Hill to make your voice heard. Sunday June 16
Written by Jurriaan van den Hurk This past Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, our Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) chapter traveled to the Virginia General Assembly in downtown Richmond to speak with state legislators about several bills related to drug policy in the upcoming session, as well as our ongoing statewide medical amnesty (911 Good Samaritan) policy campaign. The Process: As a