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
Congratulations to all of our allies and colleagues on their promising election results! Students for Sensible Drug Policy was honored to support the four statewide cannabis initiatives this year by running the national youth GOTV phone banks, placing calls to nearly 13,000 voters in Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah. In Michigan, our Field Manager Nick Zettell ‘09 mobilized on
Written by Amy Hildebrand, IL State Policy Intern On a frigid Monday night in January, even a class with mandatory attendance would be hard-pressed to fill every seat at DePaul University, but DePaul SSDP was able to do just that last week when we hosted our Student Voter Cannabis Legalization Forum in an auditorium which seated about 70. The evening
From Friday, March 2nd to Monday, March 5th, 2018, SSDP will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary at SSDP2018, this year’s International SSDP Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. In line with our values of democracy, transparency, and accountability, SSDP Congress convenes annually to give each chapter in the network the opportunity to elect new student members to the Board of Directors
2015 was a banner year for SSDP, and you can read all about our favorite 15 highlights of the year below. With unprecedented opportunities for local, state, national, and international reform, 2016 could be even bigger with more chapter growth, more new programs, and more new policy changes as a result. We couldn’t be more excited about what our student
In the fall of 1996, members of the Student Drug Reform Movement (SDRM) began to chat over the internet using a Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet) discussion page. In 1997, the Rochester Cannabis Coalition (RCC) at the Rochester Institute of Technology applied to become the first official student organization dedicated to fighting back against the War on Drugs. RIT denied
You just graduated, or are graduating soon, and you find yourself wondering whether you still have a place in Students for Sensible Drug Policy now that you’re no longer a student. Due to the organization’s name, many wonder this. But have no doubt, even after you’re no longer a student, you’re still a part of SSDP. In fact, I became
As you’ve probably heard, this week is SSDP’s first-ever Alumni Association membership drive! I’m incredibly excited to be a part of this, not just as the President of the Northeast region of our Alumni Association but as someone who’s been an active alum since before we had an official association. In my short time since graduating from UConn in 2013,
Today we’re so proud to announce the launch of the new Students for Sensible Drug Policy Alumni Association! Tens of thousands of people have been involved with an SSDP chapter since our founding in 1998, and the Alumni Association provides a structure for these folks to stay engaged with the SSDP network and to continue working to end the War
As 2014 comes to a close, Students for Sensible Drug Policy reflects on our top 14 highlights of the year: 1. Increasing impacts before, and after, elections 2014 was a big year for marijuana policy reform. Voters in Alaska, Oregon, and the District of Columbia voted to legalize marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. With a modest investment in
We know there are many worthy organizations vying for your attention as you consider making year-end gifts, and that Students for Sensible Drug Policy is just one of them. That’s why I wanted to take a moment to remind you that when you give to SSDP, you’re also making an investment in the future. You see, students often come to us
Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s Board of Directors is comprised of some of the brightest, most dedicated young drug policy reformers in the world. They share a commitment to ending the War on Drugs, but each of them goes about it in their own unique ways. Whether they will become policy experts, lawyers, or mental health practitioners, the tax-deductible contribution
One of my favorite things about Students for Sensible Drug Policy is sharing the stories of the amazing and inspirational young people I get to work with every day. Eric is one of those young people, and I’m pleased to tell you a bit about him: During his deployment to Afghanistan, Eric Gudz wanted to help his fellow service
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications for several internship positions here in our Washington, DC office. We are very excited to begin the application process, and anticipate a competitive pool of applicants. Positions we are looking to fill include: outreach, policy, journalism, and web/graphic design. Specific duties, qualifications, and more information
Each year, the Students for Sensible Drug Policy board, staff, and select students and alumni come together for an in-person “Strategy Summit.” Last weekend we discussed the activities and direction of the organization and came to conclusions on our plan for the upcoming year. This plan is finalized as our 2013-2014 SSDP Organizational Objectives, and we’re proud to share this
It’s about that time of year when lots of students are wrapping up their college years, but that certainly doesn’t mean an end to their time as an advocate for drug policy reform. The SSDP alumni network is a vast and robust network of former student drug policy activists who work in a great variety of different industries with advice
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
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
We’re so excited to release the 2012 Students for Sensible Drug Policy Annual Report! (If you have trouble viewing the PDF, please try the Issuu document viewer below.) This 20 page document outlines SSDP’s accomplishments, online presence, media clips, student testimonials, events, financial information, and more about our activities from June 2011-June 2012. To receive a hard copy of SSDP’s
After the SSDP UNAM chapter read that the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) wanted to host a big international forum to discuss drug policy in Mexico, we knew we needed to be part of it—and act fast! Andrés wrote a letter to the organizers telling them that we wanted to participate at the forum, and it didn’t matter how.
On the weekend of Friday the 20th to Sunday the 22nd of April, Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK will be hosting its third annual conference at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. This year’s conference is about building on the re-invigoration of grassroots involvement in the drug policy reform movement and ensuring all who wish to
Last month at the 13th Annual International Students for Sensible Drug Policy Conference in Denver, Colorado, we asked our students and supporters to answer the question: “Why are you fighting to end the war on drugs?” Here’s what they said…
This past week, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) drew thousands of politically active minds to Washington, DC to highlight the discourse on the right side of the aisle. Each year, CPAC attracts more and more young people, students in particular, and this year there was noticeably stronger support and willingness to talk about reforming our nations’ drug policies among the those