Tag: ssdp
October Newsletter 2021
Note from the team As we enter the fall season, Students for Sensible Drug Policy has seen the return to campus for many of our chapters for the first time in well over a year. As everyone re-adjusts to a world that is not quite post-COVID but growing nearer, young leaders around the world are eager to re-engage with their
Public Announcement of the Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy!
Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) for the public announcement of the Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy! We have created a full resolution, an organizing guide, and a one pager that breaks the ordinance down into 4 main sections: adopting a public health approach to controlled substances, reforming criminal codes, audit and tracking of expenses and fees paid,
SSDP Welcomes Rory O’Brien, Jacob Plowden, and Jeremy Sharp to the Team
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is thrilled to welcome three new full-time staff members to our team. Rory O’Brien ’19 joins us as our first Communications Manager, Jacob Plowden ’15 joins as our New York State Coordinator, and Jeremy Sharp ’12 joins us as our Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator. Rory O’Brien ‘19 (she/her/ella) is the Communications Manager for Students for
Introducing Collingswood High School
Written by Audrey Bosniak ’21, Collingswood High School SSDP Chapter Leader How did you hear about SSDP? Actually, I think my mom sent me the SSDP instagram page. She’s a therapist studying psychedelics and a big inspiration for me. Why did you want to get involved/what made you decide to start a chapter? It feels like I hear misconceptions
Announcing New SSDP Promotions!
We are excited to announce two promotions for members of our team!Rob Hofmann ‘16 is now our Policy and Advocacy Director! In this role, Rob will be advancing drug policy reform by developing, implementing, and activating members around SSDP’s policy priorities. Other responsibilities include: Advising the SSDP team and members on policy mattersConducting research on current and upcoming legislation as
Get Your New Care Package for the New School Year!
As schools start bringing students back on campus, in-person recruiting for chapters is once again becoming a reality. Tabling, flyering, and other in-person recruitment strategies are key to developing a strong and long lasting chapter, so make sure you are incorporating a strong recruitment strategy with your chapter members! To help bring in the new school year and the first
Interview with Annajane Yolken
Interviewer: Liza Begum, Global Operations and U.S. Policy Intern Annajane Yolken is a public health advocate, working to translate data and research into evidence-based drug policy. She is a co-founder and co-chair of the Substance Use Policy, Education, and Recovery (SUPER) PAC. She is also Director of Programs at Project Weber/RENEW, a peer-based harm reduction service organization in Rhode Island.
Event: It’s Time To Defund The Eradication of Psychoactive Plants in Colombia
Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Bay Area Latino Cannabis Alliance, Muisca Capital Group, and the Urban Survivors Union this Wednesday, August 11th, for our event demanding that Congress stop using US tax dollars on dangerous, ineffective aerial crop eradication and to shift those resources toward supporting research and economic support for local indigenous communities. Hear from Colombian researchers, social justice advocates,
SSDP Welcomes Iulia Vatau ’20 as Our New Global Fellow
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is happy to announce that Iulia Vatau ’20 has joined the team as a Global Fellow for Europe and the UN. Iulia founded the University College London chapter and established a student-led harm reduction volunteering project based on the Just Say Know curriculum. She has been critical to the revival of Students for Sensible Drug
78 Students for Sensible Drug Policy Chapters Call On Congress To End Federal Marijuana Prohibition
For Immediate Release Primary contact: Rob Hofmann, United States Outreach and Policy Coordinator, Students for Sensible Drug Policy(607) 316-0227, robert@ssdp.org Secondary Contact: Jason Ortiz, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy(860) 639-8101, jason@ssdp.org Today, 78 Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) chapters sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi, House Majority Leader Hoyer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging
Introducing Penn State SSDP
Written by Kunal Gupta ’21, Penn State SSDP Chapter Leader How did you hear about SSDP? I heard about SSDP through my own research as a potential way for students to get more involved in the landscape of law reform regarding substance use! Why did you want to get involved/what made you decide to start a chapter? I wanted to
SSDP Supporting Student Speech Rights at the Supreme Court
Written with support from Kat Murti ‘09 and Jason Ortiz ‘08 In 2017, a Pennsylvania public school student identified as ‘B.L.’ expressed her frustration about not making the varsity cheerleading squad on Snapchat. Despite the app’s reputation and purpose, the image she sent on a Saturday and out of class (including many profanities) was saved and ended up in the
Interview with Jake Hadamik ’20, SSDP Ambassador
SSDP is revamping our Ambassadorship program to better integrate SSDPers outside of the traditional chapter structure into our network! If you would like to get involved as an SSDP Ambassador for your community, email outreach@ssdp.org. How did you hear about SSDP? I heard about SSDP in high school around 2006-2010 when I was beginning to look into mental health and
SSDP’s STEM in Congress List Has Launched
Edited by SSDP’s Scientific Research Issue Group Scientific and research-oriented approaches to drug policy in the United States have been historically lacking. The narratives around drugs and drug policy, especially in the 20th century, were heavily and almost exclusively dominated by police, border control, and politicians looking for punitive approaches to issues of public health, freedom, and human rights. Fortunately,
U.S. Members – Take Our Limited Drug Decriminalization Policy Position Survey
SSDP’s U.S. Policy Council is accepting feedback from our membership regarding our U.S. policy position on limited drug decriminalization measures, such as psilocybin decriminalization or ‘Decriminalize Nature’ campaigns. These measures range from decriminalizing certain plant-based psychedelics to making certain plant-based psychedelics lowest law enforcement priorities. Currently, “SSDP does not prioritize a strategy to decriminalize, legalize, or regulate currently illegal drugs
SSDP African Orientation Training: Session Results and Feedback
In early December, the brand new SSDP Africa Orientation Training was launched, with the 5 well-prepared, eager, and motivated facilitators ready to train the first batch of participants and begin the task of certifying our members. Read about who they are and the creation of this training here. The first round of this training saw 12 participants in attendance of
Psychedelic Exceptionalism vs. Decrim All
Written by Josh McMillin ‘20, Kat Ebert ‘18Edited by Abhi Dewan ‘18, Luis Montoya ‘16 After the 2020 election season, many of us were delighted to see that several US states passed historical initiatives for the progress of drug reform. Not long after, the UN rescheduled marijuana and the MORE act passed the house. The War on Drugs is steadily
Introducing University of Michigan SSDP!
Written by Connor Flanigan ’20, UMich SSDP Chapter Leader How did you hear about SSDP? Was looking for ways to get involved with positive psychedelic legislation, and google did the rest. Why did you want to get involved/what made you decide to start a chapter? I wanted to help organize my local community in the ongoing efforts around drug policy.
Introducing Our New Federal Policy Liaison!
We are excited to announce that Sarah Noon ‘18, who joined the leadership team of our U.S. Policy Council in December, is our new U.S. Federal Policy Liaison! Sarah will be primarily responsible for assisting the development and implementation of SSDP’s United States federal legislative strategies and co-facilitating our United States Policy Council.Sarah recently graduated from Oakland Community College, where
Introducing California State University Fullerton
Written by Michael Baum ‘20, Chapter Leader of California State University Fullerton How did you hear about SSDP? I heard about SSDP when looking through the MAPS website. Why did you want to get involved/what made you decide to start a chapter? I wanted to get involved because I know a lot of people are harmed by the drug policies
Opinion Piece: After 50 Years of Failure, It’s Time to Rethink the Controlled Substances Act
Written by Trey Brasher ’19 and Elijah Zorro Ullman ‘15, SSDP Scientific Policy Council members (Written to publish on October 27th, 2020 for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 50 years ago today, on Oct 27th, 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) was signed into law. Solidifying treatment of drugs as a criminal issue rather than a medical or societal one, the
Now Available: Strategy Summit Session Recordings
Did you LOVE SSDP’s first-ever virtual Strategy Summit? Have you missed a few sessions? You can now watch all of the public sessions on SSDP’s 2020 Strategy Summit website. Over the last month, SSDPers held discussions on various important topics and issues to provide insight towards the development of a multi-year strategy that will guide the organization to continued success
New Member Added to SSDP’s U.S. Policy Council Leadership Team
On December 1st, 2020, SSDP’s U.S. Policy Council Tactical Team voted to add Sarah Noon ‘18 as a member of our leadership team. Sarah will be the point person for our Campus Change, Cannabis, and Scientific Research Issue Groups. Sarah Noon recently graduated from Oakland Community College, where she was the president and founder of OCC’s Students for Sensible Drug
SSDP Is Hiring A U.S. Federal Policy Liaison!
Have you ever wanted to work for Students for Sensible Drug Policy? We’re hiring a U.S. Federal Policy Liaison! Working for SSDP is a great opportunity to serve our network of students and young people who are leading the charge to end the disastrous War on Drugs and heal from the harms of drug prohibition. SSDP is overseen by our
Action Alert: Start Making Calls for Georgia Voter Registration and GOTV!
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is encouraging all of our U.S. members, alumni, and supporters to start making calls and get out the vote for Georgia’s special election on January 5th. Drug policy reform and the progress we have made this year is on the line this run-off election. The MORE Act, which just passed the House of Representatives on
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October 13, 2021
