Tag: ssdp
Students Urge the Biden Administration to Center Harm Reduction in the Methamphetamine Response Plan of 2021
President Bident recently signed the “Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021” into effect, naming methamphetamine as an “emerging drug threat” and directing the Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP) to implement a Methamphetamine Response Plan within 90 days of the signing of the bill. While we are concerned that this law is now targeting people who use methamphetamine with outdated prohibitionist
New Member Interview: California Lutheran University SSDP
SSDP’s staff is ecstatic to announce the formation of a new chapter at California Lutheran University (CLU), a private liberal arts university in Thousand Oaks, California. I’m grateful to announce that “the future of drug policy is intelligent, ethical, and hardworking.” In just a few short months, the chapter has been building a solid foundation for its future. Their leadership
Saying Farewell to the SSDP Chapter Activity Tracker
The Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Chapter Activity Tracker (CAT) was developed to gamify member engagement and facilitate the distribution of resources and scholarships to our chapters. The program was very successful in the years following it’s initial release, allowing chapters to compete with each other, learn from each other, and gain access to opportunities and resources along the
SSDP Advocates at the 65th UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The 65th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs took place in Vienna between 14-18 March, with members states and civil society representatives coming together to discuss the most pressing issues shaping drug policy today. This session saw historic developments largely influenced by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Walkouts were initiated at various times during the debate and for
We need your help in growing our infrastructure to continue the momentum
SSDP’s policy team has had some incredible victories this year, and we need your help in growing our infrastructure to continue the momentum! In 2022 alone, we have launched campaigns at the local, state and federal level. Dollar for dollar, SSDP has been incredibly effective at using our limited resources to advance sensible policies across the country. See below for
Students partner with testing manufacturer to provide free harm reduction tools to youth
Luis Montoya luis@ssdp.org Cameron Scally Cameron@dosetest.com March 28, 2022— Students for Sensible Drug Policy and DoseTest are partnering to expand access to drug checking kits and drug checking services for young people who use drugs and their peers across the United States. The partnership was borne out of a mutual desire to make these potentially life saving harm reduction tools
Introducing Drexel University SSDP
Written by Justin Serwinski ‘21, Madi Rockett ‘21, and Naomi Shifman ‘21 How did you hear about SSDP? After Justin’s initial outreach to start an organization focused on psychedelic medicine at Drexel, he met with a few faculty and students who appeared interested. During our first meeting, a faculty member discussed how it might be advantageous to integrate with SSDP
Panel: Drug Legalization as a Public Health Measure
Every year, there are more than 1.5 million drug arrests in the United States. More than 80% of these arrests are for possession only. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have already decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and some are exploring the merits of decriminalizing other drugs. While drug decriminalization is a step in the right
Joint Statement from the Board: Bylaws, Rules, & Congress
The Board of Directors has recently voted to change the number of years for Director terms from 2 years to 3 years. This decision was reached by the board for the reasons below: An additional year provides more opportunities for projects and professional developmentProvides continuity as we continue to transition as an organization Standard Non-profit Board of Directors have a term
Feature: Kufikiri Imara
This is a more accessible, easier to read version of our social media posts that you can find on ohr Facebook and Instagram pages. “Black Futures Month is a visionary, forward-looking spin on celebrations of Blackness in February”. Today, we are featuring Kufikiri Imara and his poetry! Bio: Kufikiri Imara; born and raised on unceded Huichin territory of the Ohlone
Huge Victory Against Aerial Crop Eradication in Colombia!
Thanks to the persistent grassroots resistance by Indigenous communities in Colombia like the Nasa Tribe, Colombia’s Constitutional Court has paused the aerial fumigation of coca plants, ruling that the government failed to consult communities affected by the spraying of toxic chemicals onto their land. The Court ruled that the Duque administration must fully consult with potentially affected communities before the
SSDP and SMART to partner on HBCU outreach campaign to increase diversity in drug policy
Primary contacts: Jason Ortiz Executive Director, SSDP jason@ssdp.org, (860) 639-8101 Nadir Pearson Founder and CEO, SMART nadir@studentmmj.com For Immediate Release: SSDP and SMART to partner on HBCU outreach campaign to increase diversity in drug policy Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency launch co-branded HBCU outreach campaign February 1st, 2022— Students
Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors!
This year, the SSDP Congress will convene from April 7th – 8th, 2022, and provide each chapter in the network with the opportunity to elect new student members to the Board of Directors, and to vote on resolutions for the organizations. ELECTING STUDENT MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS As a nonprofit organization, SSDP is governed by the Board of
Missoula SSDP successfully pressures Administration to protect student health and safety
The University of Montana SSDP chapter (Missoula SSDP) had a major win in September of 2020 when a unanimous decision to adopt their proposed medical amnesty policy was announced by their Student Government, which was the beginning of their efforts to bring medical amnesty protections on campus. I had the opportunity to speak to Vice President and Treasurer Michael Layeux
Happy Holidays!
Friends, We wish you a gentle, safe, and healthy holiday season. Thank you for being a part of our community. With love, Your SSDP team From now until December 31st, all gifts made to SSDP will be matched up to $50,000. Make a gift today, and your contribution will go twice as far to support young people and sensible drug
Team Highlight: Jeremy Sharp ‘13
For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! And now, we have Jeremy Sharp, Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator! Jeremy Sharp ‘13 (he/him) Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement University of North Georgia Short Bio Jeremy Sharp ’12 (he/him/his) is a convicted felon who graduated from
Team Highlight: Rachel Wissner ‘11
For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! Today, we have our Development Director, Rachel Wissner! Rachel Wissner ’11 (she/her) Development Director Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement SUNY New Paltz 2011-2016 Short Bio Rachel Wissner is the Development Director at SSDP. Rachel began her career as a drug
Team Highlight: Jason Ortiz ‘08
For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! Next, we have our Executive Director, Jason Ortiz! Jason Ortiz ‘08 (he, him, el) Executive Director Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement UConn Storrs, was CFO for many years Short Bio Jason Ortiz is an almnus of the UConn SSDP chapter,
Team Highlight: Carmen Winter ‘19
For the rest of the year, we will be introducing you to our team at Students for Sensible Drug Policy! First up, we have Carmen Winter, Development Associate! Carmen Winter ’19, (she/they) Development Associate Previous and/or Current Chapter Involvement Maryland Institute College of Art Short Bio Carmen Winter is a native Marylander and Washington, D.C. area based designer, researcher, and
Introducing the University of Denver SSDP Ambassador
We are excited to announce that we have a new Ambassador based out of the University of Denver, Georgia Horne ‘21! We met with Georgia to find out more about what brought them to the network and what they’re excited about. 1. Tell us a bit about yourself (anything that you’d like to share really) I am currently pursuing my
Introducing Johns Hopkins University SSDP
Written by Emma Landry ‘21 and Avery Meyer ‘21, Johns Hopkins University SSDP Co-Chapter Leaders 1. How did you hear about SSDP? Avery: I have heard about SSDP over the years vaguely, but became really interested when I talked to someone who was involved in SSDP and spoke really highly of the organization and connections it allowed her to make.
November Newsletter 2021
Note from the team It has been an exciting last few months at SSDP! We launched multiple campaigns, hired 2 stellar interns, and had a strong presence at MJBizCon, the 5th European Harm Reduction Conference, and the American Bar Association’s Business of Cannabis Conference. Help us keep up the momentum by becoming a member of our Sensible Society, and see
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
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
