Tag: ssdp
SSDP Joins Letter to Protect 7-OH (Kratom related Substance)
A broad coalition of consumer advocates and drug-policy reform groups recently sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jim Jordan, encouraging Congress not to ban 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound related to kratom. The entire letter is included at the bottom of this blog post. The letter argues that the FDA’s push to schedule 7-OH under the Controlled Substances
SSDP’s Sensible Soirée to Kick-off Reform Week in Detroit on November 12
SSDP is gathering together in Detroit, MI next week for Drug Policy Alliance’s Reform Conference. Our staff, board members, chapter leaders, and ambassadors from coast to coast will be attending the conference, hosting an overdose prevention workshop, and leading panel discussions. We’re hosting a welcome party on Wednesday, November 12 and all are invited to attend! You do not need
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 Testifies on Age Protections in Massachussetts
On 10/20/25, SSDP Executive Director, Kat Murti, testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure in support of An Act to Clarify the Minimum Age for the Sale and Purchase of Adult-Use Products (H.330/S.221). H.330/S.221 directly addresses Massachusetts law with a confirmation that the statewide age for purchasing legal substances (including alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco) is
Breaking Waves in Raleigh: Veterans, Lawmakers, and Advocates Gather for In Waves and War Screening
Last week in Raleigh, we had the privilege of co-hosting a powerful evening with VETS: Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, the North Carolina Psychedelic Policy Coalition, Democratic Representative Eric Ager, and Republican Senator Bob Brinson at the Alamo Drafthouse. Together, we brought community members, Veterans, researchers, and bipartisan policymakers into the same room for a screening of the award-winning documentary In
Celebrating Community, Connection, and Psychedelic Policy at the 4th Annual Gathering of the Pearl
Last week, I had the honor of joining The Pearl Institute for their 4th Annual Gathering of the Pearl at the Highland Events Center in Asheville, NC, a night of connection, celebration, and renewal. The evening kicked off with a special gratitude party for sponsors on the rooftop and we enjoyed Asheville’s finest musicians and artists, a memorable dance party,
SSDP Hangouts return with a Back to School Happy Hour on Sept 25 at 7 PM
Join the SSDP’s Chapter Networking Collective for our next virtual hangout on Thursday, September 25th at 7:00 PM ET on zoom. Come hang out with your SSDP family, give and get advice for a successful semester, and let SSDP national leaders know how they can support you. Visit this Zoom Link to join. All are welcome to attend.
Law & Justice Committee Convenes on October 1
SSDP’s Law & Justice Committee will be hosting a meeting on Wednesday, October 1st at 12:00 PM PT, 3:00 PM ET. We invite all attorneys, law students, pre-law track undergraduates, and other subject matter experts to join. Anyone in the SSDP community that feels called to join may apply. The committee will meet every six weeks. Please complete the Law &
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
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
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
Introducing SSDP’s Law & Justice Committee
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is excited to invite you to join our new Law & Justice Committee! This committee is a space for people interested in legal advocacy—lawyers, law students, and anyone interested in leveraging the law to end the War on Drugs and mitigate the harms of it. The committee will track drug policy, identify opportunities for
SSDP Hosts “Anchored In Altered States” in Anchorage on August 14
Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) for Anchored In Altered States, a thought-provoking networking event and documentary screening at The Nave in Anchorage on Thursday, August 14, 2025 from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM AKDT. The day before SSDP participates in the Arctic Visions Psychedelics Conference, we’re excited to host an evening gathering to bring together community leaders and
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
North Carolina’s Psychedelic Medicine and Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Day Marks a Major Step Forward
By Gina Giorgio, Director of Strategy and Development at Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Founder of the North Carolina Psychedelic Policy Coalition (NCPPC) On June 10th, North Carolina took a meaningful step in the movement toward mental health innovation. Over 30 advocates, veterans, doctors, clinicians, researchers, and policy leaders gathered at the North Carolina General Assembly for an
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
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.
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
SSDP and Coalition Letter on Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues Sentencing
SSDP recently joined with the Drug Police Alliance (DPA) and a large coalition of public health and criminal justice organizations to urge the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) to reject increased sentencing requirements for fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids. In a public comment submitted to the USSC, the coalition stated that the history of prohibitionist drug policy in
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
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
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,
