Blog (old)

13
Feb

Fireside chat with SSDP’s HBCU ambassadors

Trulieve’s Sarah Mitchel sits down with SSDP’s HBCU Ambassadors to discuss their experience in SSDP’s first HBCU Ambassador program in partnership with SMART(studentmmj.com/) and powered by@Trulieve For more information on how you can join our next cohort visit www.freetheplant.fyi Featured SSDP ambassadors – Tobi Aderotoye (Howard) – Deandré Smith (FAMU) – Scotty Johnson (NCCU) – Caleb Sprowl (Morehouse College)

1
Feb

40 under 40 Black Champions of Cannabis

By Jacob Plowden The group of unsung heroes below are the rising stars of cannabis justice and represent the folks that are far too often not given the shine they deserved for the mountains they have moved to reduce incarceration, create economic opportunity for those who have suffered from prohibition, and building a more inclusive and powerful movement to finally

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24
Jan

Introducing Fordham University SSDP

Written by Aenea Towns-von Stauber ‘22, SSDP Fordham Chapter Leader How did you hear about SSDP?I heard about SSDP through MAPS. I’m interested in going into psychedelic research, and was reading about ways I could start working towards that. From there I started looking into SSDP, and I decided that if I want to go into a career involving psychedelics

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13
Jan

Student Post – President Biden: Is the Future of Sensible Drug Policy a Pipe Dream?

Written by Jarell Corley ‘22, Hyde Park, Illinois SSDP Ambassador As a former medical marijuana activist and current electoral reform advocate, I am passionate about serious efforts to reform outdated policies influencing many aspects of our society; one in particular is drug policy. This article is in response to President Biden’s executive order pardoning all federal offenses of simple marijuana

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4
Jan

Announcing SSDP Congressional Session 2023

Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors This year, the SSDP Congress will convene from March 7th – 8th, 2023, and provide each chapter in the network the opportunity to elect new student members to the Board of Directors, and to vote on resolutions for the organization.  ELECTING STUDENT MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SSDP Congress

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29
Dec

SSDP’s Top 10 Policy Victories of 2022

With 2022 drawing to a close, Students for Sensible Drug Policy is reflecting on the drug policy victories we have been able to accomplish over the past twelve months. With campuses and community centers opening back up, keeping the potential risks of COVID in mind,, our students and youth leaders were busy leading efforts to advance sensible policies on their

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27
Dec

SSDP Now Accepting Applications for Cohort 4 of the Psychedelic Pipeline Mentorship Program

SSDP Now Accepting Applications for Cohort 4 of the Psychedelic Pipeline Mentorship Program Since 2020, SSDP has been facilitating the Psychedelic Pipeline, connecting SSDP members and alumni interested in working with psychedelic medicines to quality training and career development opportunities, with a deliberate focus on providing access to people of color. We are now accepting applications for the streamlined 4th

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7
Dec

Reasons to Donate to SSDP: Top Highlights from the SSDP’s Southern Region

SSDP’s Top Southern Highlights: Reasons to Support our Work   Reason 1 SSDP students are actively pushing policy in the South! Thanks to the hard work of SSDPer at UGA Athens Georgia passes Georgia’s most comprehensive decriminalization ordinance!   https://hightimes.com/news/athens-georgia-on-cusp-of-major-decriminalization-ordinance/   (Picture 1. Athens Georgia City Hall. June, 2022 – SSDP National Board Vice Chair – Raiden Washington. Georgia State

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6
Dec

SSDP’s Policy Council is Seeking New Tactical Team Members

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is seeking new student, alumni, and supporter leaders to join our Policy Council’s Tactical Team! We’ve had a lot of great victories this year: the second passage of the MORE Act in the House of Representatives, a public launch for one of our campaigns to remove funding for enforcing low-level drug penalties at the local level, and our

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4
Dec

Top Five Reasons from 2022 to Support SSDP in 2023!

Top Five Reasons from 2022 to Support SSDP in 2023! Downloadable PDF SSDP is the most widespread, effective, and intersectional youth drug policy organization in the Nation. We are the only Drug Policy organization with deep roots and current programming covering cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction at over 100 campuses across the country, creating true pathways toward national systemic change

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23
Nov

Youth organizers pass the first marijuana decriminalization ordinance in Denton

Congratulations to the University of North Texas Students for Sensible Drug Policy (UNT SSDP) chapter and Decriminalize Denton for passing Denton Proposition B: the city’s first marijuana decriminalization ordinance! The initiative to eliminate low-level marijuana enforcement passed with an overwhelming majority at 71.6% of the votes. Tristan Seikel ’18, a UNT SSDP Alumnus and founder of Decriminalize Denton, shared his

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22
Nov

The Case for Descheduling Drugs: From Cannabis to Heroin

Recently, President Biden asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.” The announcement was a welcomed change by many federal cannabis activists, who are calling for the descheduling of cannabis through this review. In order to truly understand why we must deschedule marijuana, it’s important

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27
Oct

We made good trouble on the front steps of the White House

Monday’s protest at the White House in support of clemency for all federal cannabis prisoners reminded the President that his work on Cannabis is nowhere near done, and that the people will hold his feet to the fire until all our incarcerated friends and family are home. SSDP Student Leaders from across the country joined in the action including the

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24
Oct

Why we’re protesting President Biden today

SSDP Student Leaders and allies to protest President Biden’s lack of follow through on campaign promise to release cannabis prisoners PRIMARY PRESS CONTACT: MAYA TATUM, IMMEDIATE PAST SSDP BOARD CHAIR, MAYA.TATUM@BOARD.SSDP.ORG, 1 (623) 2891 SECONDARY PRESS CONTACT: JEREMY SHARP: SSDP SOUTHERN AND PACIFIC REGION COORDINATOR , JEREMY@SSDP.ORG 1 (706) 540-6846 ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: PRESS@LASTPRISONERPROJECT.ORG #BidenRelease420Prisoners Washington D.C. – Student leaders from

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21
Oct

Introducing Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ambassador Anjolee Spence

How did you hear about Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)?  Hi! My name is Anjolee! Through my interest in psychedelic sciences, I found my way to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) website looking for volunteer opportunities when I came across the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Psychedelic Pipeline and learned about SSDP’s overall purpose of fighting

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18
Oct

Hip Hop Legends Redman and M1 of Dead Prez join the October 24th action at the White House

Redman and M1 of Dead Prez join the October 24th action at the White House Primary contact : Jason Ortiz, 860 639 8101 – jason@ssdp.org Washington D.C. – Hip Hop legends M1 of Dead Prez and Redman will join the rally for cannabis clemency on October 24th at the gates of White House starting at 10:00 AM. They will be

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11
Oct

Our letter to President Biden on the urgency of Cannabis clemency

6
Oct

Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Last Prisoner Project celebrate first step by President Biden to fulfilling campaign promises

Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Last Prisoner Project celebrate first step by President Biden to fulfilling campaign promises Primary contact- Jason Ortiz, Executive Director of Students for Drug Policy, 860 639 8101, jason@ssdp.org   Washington, D.C. – Earlier today, President Biden announced that he has pardoned all federal cannabis prisoners charged with simple possession of cannabis. We are encouraged

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20
Sep

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Last Prisoner Project Urge President Biden to Keep His Promise on Federal Cannabis Clemency

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Last Prisoner Project Announce the Keep Your Promise Campaign  President Biden:  Keep Your Promise to Release Cannabis Prisoners Primary Press Contact: Jason Ortiz, jason@ssdp.org Secondary Press Contact: press@lastprisonerproject.org  Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) has partnered with the Last Prisoner Project to conduct a series of civil disobedience actions aimed at pressuring President

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7
Sep

SSDP Science Policy Council successfully pushes back on DEA effort to criminalize psychedelic research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SSDP Science Policy Council successfully pushes back on DEA effort to criminalize psychedelic research On Friday August 26, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) withdrew proposed Schedule I status for 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC). The notice states that “The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is withdrawing a proposed rule that was published in the Federal Register on

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30
Aug

Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ends Partnership with Decriminalize Nature National

Students for Sensible Drug Policy Foundation (SSDP) is disappointed by the recent anti-Semitic messaging coming from Decriminalize Nature’s National leadership (DN). After consideration of Decrim Nature’s actions, this type of messaging does not reflect the values of SSDP, and we have decided to end our formal partnership with Decrim Nature’s National leadership. For more information: DN made a post on

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11
Jul

SSDP & SMART Unveil First Cohort of HBCU Ambassadors for Cannabis Policy and Awareness Campaign

For Immediate release: SSDP & SMART Unveil First Cohort of HBCU Ambassadors for Cannabis Policy and Awareness Campaign Washington DC: Students for Sensible Drug Policy(SSDP) and the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency (SMART) have selected their 11 Student Ambassadors for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The chosen ambassadors will receive a stipend, professional development and support, access to

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16
Jun

Cannabis Decriminalization in the Deep South

Georgia’s SSDP Chapters One Step Closer to Passing States Most Important Cannabis Decriminalization Ordinance in Athens, Ga.    June 13, 2022:  Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is proud to announce, on Thursday, June 9th at 1pm in City Hall, the Athens-Clarke County Legislative Review Committee (“LRC”) unanimously voted (5-0) in favor of Georgia’s most comprehensive marijuana decriminalization ordinance. When

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6
May

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

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2
May

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

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