Dare Generation Diary

NFL Pro Bowler Flexes Rights During Police Encounter and Wins

2011-06-28T10:14:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite things I've been able to do through SSDP is present information on how to handle yourself in a police encounter. A question commonly asked during this sessions is, "what's the of point denying consent to a search? If a cop wants to search your car, they'll search it anyway." Well, NFL Defensive Tackle and former Florida State University student Darnell Dockett successfully asserted his rights yesterday during a police encounter Monday. Darnell even provided play-by-play live Tweets of the police stop!

The Tweets are understandably abrasive in tone (and profanely hilarious), but tell the story Dockett maintaining his cool and display his willingness to wait out the officers who had no grounds for a search. Because Dockett asserted his rights, he came out a winner.

To further address the question posed earlier in the post, yes, it is true the police may decide to violate your rights and search without your consent. BUT... by denying consent to all police searches, you have a much better chance winning in court. The consequences for failing to deny consent to a search may range from destruction of your property (if the police break your stuff during a search you consented to, good luck getting compensation) to conviction and jail time for a crime you may not have even committed. Be respectful and courteous, but be sure to deny consent.

For more information on how to handle police encounters like a pro, check out our friends, Flex Your Rights, and their outstanding rights training movie, 10 Rules for Dealing with the Police.

Update from the Green Room at NBC News in Washington, D.C.

2011-06-14T14:42:00.003-05:00

I shot this video blog clip with my cell phone from inside the green room at NBC News on Capitol Hill right before I appeared on CNBC. I thought you may be interested to see what it looks like inside. Keep checking back here for video blog updates during this week of events highlighting the 40th anniversary of President Nixon declaring the "War on Drugs."

You can watch the full clip of my appearance on CNBC here.

Update from (Near) The White House, Part I

2011-06-13T10:34:00.003-05:00

See this update on what we're up to during this historic week!

Mexico City Students Invite All to 40th Anniversary Vigil

2011-06-10T13:14:00.004-05:00

17 June 2011

Where: Kiosco de Coyoacan, Coyoacan Centro

When: 19:00 distribution of candles; 20:00 lighting of candles

Please click on the image to view the invitation.
patrick@ssdp.org

Russia's Draconian Tactics Aimed at Drug Users

2011-06-10T12:08:00.007-05:00

"A total war on drugs" was just announced by the Speaker of the Russian Duma, Boris Gryzlov. The Guardian reports that Gryzlov, a close ally of Prime Minister Putin, wants drug dealers "treated like serial killers."

The hard-line, criminal justice approach flies in the face of recent suggestions to treat drug use as a public health issue. The Russian Government immediately dismissed the suggestion last week of the Global Commission on Drugs calling the report "propaganda" for drugs.

Gryzlov said abuse was soaring, and that it "threatened the gene pool." His proposed measures include special punishments for dealers, such as forced labor camps. For users, he calls for "prison or forced treatment."

Drug policy reformers immediately pointed to Russia's poor record of dealing with HIV infection among drug using populations. In many countries, the HIV infection rate among intravenous drug users hovers around 1 to 2 percent. In Russia overall, 16 percent of intravenous drug users are infected with HIV, and in St. Petersburg, that figure rises to around 60 per cent.

Will the initiative pass the Duma? The Guardian reports that Gryzlov has the support of United Russia, the ruling party, which also exerts power over the Parliament.

Action Alert: Help prevent overdose deaths in NY!

2011-06-09T22:10:00.000-05:00

Here in New York, we've been hard at work trying to pass an Good Samaritan (or Medical Amnesty) bill that would protect individuals from criminal prosecution when calling 911 in an alcohol or other drug related medical emergency. This life-saving overdose prevention bill passed through the State Assembly last week and now we only have a few days left of the legislative year to get it through the Senate.

It is crucial that we flood Senator Skelos's office with calls urging his support in the next 24 hours to make sure this life-saving bill becomes a live-saving law next week!

Call Senator Dean Skelos, the New York Senate Majority Leader, at (518) 455-3171 and urge him to consider the following:

- S4454A has been carefully crafted to save lives while not allowing drug dealers to "walk free"

- The Assembly version of this bill will save lives and should pass without amendments

- Senators on both sides of the aisle have already expressed their support for the bill as currently written and no amendments are necessary for it's passage

Your supportive calls last week on this issue caused Senate Majority Leader Skelos to take notice! It's looking likely that this bill will pass, but now some are calling for amendments to weaken the bill and we need to make our voices heard.

After you call his office, we'd love to hear how it went, so let us know here. If you don't live or go to school in New York, than please pass this around to friends! We've got to act now and we can't do it without your help.

The Power of Student Activism

2011-06-09T15:12:00.002-05:00

Check out our very own David Haseltine, president of the University of Connecticut SSDP chapter, on Huffington Post talking about how SSDP helped pass Connecticut's new marijuana decriminalization law. Go David!

Make your voice heard at the UN

2011-06-01T13:15:00.005-05:00

From our friends at Avaaz.

To Ban Ki-moon and all Heads of State: We call on you to end the war on drugs and the prohibition regime, and move towards a system based on decriminalisation, regulation, public health and education. This 50 year old policy has failed, fuels violent organised crime, devastates lives and is costing billions. It is time for a humane and effective approach.

Click here to sign the petition.

(Moving) Office Space, SSDP-Style (VIDEO)

2011-05-31T10:18:00.007-05:00

After about a decade in our national headquarters on Connecticut Avenue, this is our last day here. While we're sad to say goodbye, we're excited about our new office space in downtown Washington, D.C. We'll tell you more about our new space soon and include some video. But for now, remember that part from the movie, Office Space, where employees took a baseball bat to the hated printer?

Please enjoy this video of our Associate Director, Stacia Cosner, totally destroying trashed office furniture with a baseball bat so that it can be transported to the dump. Dedicated readers may recall that Stacia represents SSDP on the Capitol Hemp One-Hitters, a team in the Congressional Softball League made up of drug policy reform activists, so it shouldn't be any surprise that she's got a mean swing.

It's just a softball game ...vs. the Drug Czar's team

2011-05-25T17:59:00.014-05:00

SSDP is the official sponsoring organization for The One Hitters, a co-ed recreational softball team in the Congressional League in Washington DC, established in 2002 our team is comprised of individuals who work for or support marijuana and other drug law reform. This year, we're officially 2-1 so far, but if I do say so myself, we're not too shabby.

Being in the Congressional League, we play some interesting teams, such as those who work for various Congressional offices, government institutions, advocacy groups, law firms, and others. Perhaps the most unlikely match up for a league softball game would be The One Hitters vs. The Czardinals, which is the Office of National Drug Control Policy's team. We were thrilled earlier this season when our respective coaches scheduled a game between the two teams! But then for some reason, The Czardinals cancelled on us ...again.

The One Hitters is a co-ed softball team established in 2002
in the Congressional League in Washington, DC comprised of individuals
who work for or support marijuana and other drug law reform.

contact: OneHittersSoftball@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 25, 2011

One Hitters Burned Again By Timid Czardinals

Office of National Drug Control Policy Backs Out of Softball Game with Drug Policy Reformers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Once again, the softball team representing the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has backed out of playing a Congressional Softball League game against the One Hitters, a team consisting of members of several drug policy reform organizations and others who support ending the “war on drugs.” A game between the two teams had been scheduled for May 25, but the ONCDP Czardinals pulled out shortly after scheduling the game, with ONDCP public liaison coordinator Quinn Staudt citing an “accidental double-booking.”
This is not the first time the Czardinals have refused to play the One Hitters. In 6 years, the team found one reason or another to avoid taking the field against this team of individuals dedicated to reforming the out-of-date and ineffectual policies promoted by the ONDCP.

This behavior is being mimicked on the national stage by the ONDCP as well. While drug czar Gil Kerlikowske has stated that he will no longer use the rhetoric of a “war on drugs” and President Obama said that he wants to move to treat drug abuse as a health problem rather than a criminal justice problem, little has been seen in the way of action in that direction. The President has also said that he does not support the legalization of any drug, even marijuana, despite the inarguable damage marijuana prohibition does to society, individual users, medical patients that benefit from marijuana treatments, governmental budgets, and respect for the rule of law.
"It is really disappointing that the ONDCP not only refuses to have an honest debate with drug policy reformers about the absolute failure of drug prohibition, but also keeps ducking out of softball games with us,” said One Hitters team captain Jacob Berg. “We think it would be a great opportunity to advance the discussion between drug law reformers and the people ostensibly in charge of drug policy in this country. I wonder if they are afraid to have that conversation. The drug czar said ‘legalization’ isn't in his vocabulary, but it's just a friendly softball game!"
The One Hitters hope the Czardinals will put aside ideological differences and accept their invitation to play a softball game this summer on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Delaware Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Bill

2011-05-13T12:41:00.000-05:00

This morning, Delaware Governor Jack Markel signed the state's medical marijuana bill into law, making Delaware the 16th state to have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

The bill received final legislative approval Wednesday. A spokesman said Markell wanted to sign the measure as quickly as possible because of the lengthy time that will be needed to get a state-run system for distributing medical marijuana up and running.

The new law allows people 18 and older with certain serious or debilitating conditions that could be alleviated by marijuana to possess up to six ounces of the drug. Qualifying patients would be referred to state-licensed and regulated “compassion centers,” which would be located in each of Delaware’s three counties. The centers would grow, cultivate and dispense the marijuana.

Congratulations to Delaware for implementing sensible policy! Now we'll just have to wait and see if Gov. Markel gets a threatening letter from the DoJ...

The Case of Mexico: The Banality of Being Against Drug War Violence

2011-05-11T11:08:00.003-05:00

You know the context in Mexico by now.

If not, you can read about a protest SSDP-University of Oregon organized to coincide with Cinco de Mayo. This group used 36 people in a fall-down protest to signal, 1,000 for each person, the number of fatalities in the Mexican-US drug war since 2006.

And follow this sequence of events: Felipe Calderon comes into the presidency in 2006. He starts a war against drug traffickers. Even with, or perhaps partly a result of placing military as police in Mexico's cities streets and highways, the homicide rate soars. The US through the State Department and the Merida Initiative has pledged up to US$1.4 billion for a militarized campaign, and funds to revamp the criminal justice system towards greater openness.

None of these strategies has calmed the violence. By mid-2006 36,000 people have died; a quarter of a million have disappeared; the world's most dangerous city Juarez, on the US-Mexico border, has shed a quarter of a million inhabitants; Mexico is the world's most dangerous place for journalists; and nobody knows how many orphans this violence has produced, and what sort of a response Mexico's psychological services can provide. We know that forensic medical workers are overworked. These statistics and facts mean that more people have become caught up in webs of violent death, many and perhaps most just minding their business while the army, police, and drug trafficking organizations fight over the sovereignty to control an illicit, prohibited market.

These are the broad facts which comprise the context, ever-changing as it tends to be. And of course, since the country is at war, there are many more facts, most of them macabre. Many of them registered as barbarities. And within such bleakness, several protest movements have arisen.

MEXICO'S MASS ANTI-DRUG WAR PROTEST MOVEMENT...WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T

It was inevitable. Mexico can sometimes be a country of protests, and when problems become massive and intractable, so resistance to those problems has the likelihood of being large. It happened with the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion Nacional from 1994 - 2001, commonly known as the Zapatistas. It happened with the student strikers who shut down the National Autonomous University, the UNAM from 1998 - 1999. These are two massive movements considered to have undermined the Partido Revolucionario Institucional's seventy year hold over power from 1930 - 2000.

Mexico's mass protest movement du jour, popularly known as the Marcha por La Paz, was brought together by Javier Sicilia, a little known poet, writer, and Catholic militant after his son, Juan Francisco, and six other youngsters were killed in Cuernavaca, just south of Mexico City. It is a tragic case. And perhaps because the case comes from middle Mexico, those not-quite-well to do folk, who live on the precipice of Mexico's political economy including many in the middle class, it played better in the media. After a while, and with discontent in politics at new heights, Javier Sicilia, a drug war victim, embraced the role of reformer of the state. The most consistent demands from Sicilia concern democracy, security, and justice.

Sicilia's demands have nothing to do with ending prohibition, and nobody in his movement has said very much about what happens to Mexican sovereignty when US anti-drug interests rule Mexico's political economy. This means that whatever suggestions Sicilia makes regarding democracy, security, and justice, his protests will have missed explaining why the Mexican drug war exists. In almost all of the news coverage after the march on Sunday, correspondents allowed marchers to describe the problems coonfronting the country through its drug war: the crisis of the presidency, continuing corruption, impunity, no opportunities for young and old. Almost NONE of these articulations concerned dismantling prohibition, a form of organizing the state's violence against drugs which has so clearly undermined democracy, security, and justice in a number of countries around the world.

This means that, in the current Mexican case, being against the drug war does not necessarily mean being against prohibition.

And it means that once again, coalitions -- which includes SSDP -- like those led by the Drug Policy Alliance will want to continue to pressure all political actors in Mexico, those in mass movements, and those in formal politics, of the need for anti-prohibition as the central, complex, rationale, sound, pacific policy choice through which advances in security, democracy, and justice will eventually flow.

Remembering Rachel Hoffman: Third Anniversary

2011-05-07T12:15:00.000-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Today marks the third anniversary of the murder of Rachel Hoffman, a former SSDP member and 23 year old graduate of Florida State University. Rachel was murdered by two drug dealers after the Tallahassee Police Department pressured her to become an informant in an undercover sting operation, promising to keep her safe, only to lose track of her.

Despite only finding 4 ecstasy pills and a few ounces of marijuana in her home, the police department asked Rachel to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine, and a handgun (which was contrary to department policy as it opened the opportunity for the suspected criminals to explain the presence of the gun), using $13,000 cash in a buy-bust operation. She was murdered with the very gun police had sent her to buy. Rachel's lawyer, family, or the state prosecutor were never informed about the operation and after her murder, the Tallahassee Police Department held a press conference to blame her for her own death.

Three years later, this tragic loss of life must serve as a reminder of the need for reform of drug policies nationwide. It must remind those in defense of such policies that they simply don't work. More than that, it must help us all to change our mindsets about the relationship between people and drugs. This drug war has grown so large and seemingly unstoppable that its supporters no longer seem to care about measuring it's success. Rachel was labeled as a being some sort of drug kingpin despite only a few ounces of marijuana being found in her home. Now she's gone and the two drug dealers that murdered her are behind bars for life. If the drug war works, and this is what is called success, then no one should be able to find and use marijuana in Florida anymore right? We all know that's not true.

Margie Weiss, Rachel's mom, fought hard for the introduction and passage of Rachel's Law to help prevent more young people from being taken advantage of by police as informants. The law passed in 2009 and established minimum standards that law enforcement must meet when dealing with informants. Under Rachel's Law, law enforcement must "take into account a person's age and maturity, emotional state and the level of risk a mission would entail." It also prohibits police from promising informers more lenient treatment.

The Purple Hatters Ball, a music festival to benefit the Rachel Morningstar foundation and celebrate Rachel's life and energy is taking place next weekend in Live Oak, FL. Named after the bright purple top hat Rachel would wear to concerts, the festival features lots of great live music and embraces Rachel's passion for life.

We wish the best for the Hoffman family and thank them for their strength and determination to bring change to Florida's criminal justice system.

Somethin's Happenin' Here: Mexican Youth Congress Formulates Anti-Violence Strategy

2011-05-04T14:40:00.006-05:00

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the center of the drug war exists in Washington, D.C. With all the bloviating, all the Congressional handwringing, all the dissimulating by the White House's Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske and all the hardheadedness of the DEA head Michelle Leonhart, the power of prohibition does seem to lie within the DC Beltway.

But what is going on in Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City? And how does it concern youth and students who oppose the drug war?

First, the context: in Cuernavaca, at March's end the son of a somewhat famous poet and writer -- Juan Francisco Sicilia, father Javier Sicilia -- died in despicable circumstances, along with six of his friends, all of whom were dumped in a car in Cuernavaca. In his anguished wrath, Javier Sicilia blamed Felipe Calderon's failure of a drug war. With 35,000 dead and his son and friends more statistics, Sicilia projected publicly a letter to the president which protested all violence, repeating time and again that they were all fed up with a type of imagination in public life that led only to death.

Sicilia soon commanded a massive social movement, whose first action, a march in Cuernavaca, attracted more people than at any time in its history. At the march, Sicilia called for national and international marches against violence and the drug war at the beginning of May.

A vibrant, viable social movement comprised of youth and students has emerged within this context. Last weekend, on 28 and 29 April, youth and students from all over Mexico convened an emergency national congress. In a post from the Americas MexicoBlog, on-the-ground-correspondents reported the proceedings and an outcome. What emerged was a complex document that defines what Mexican youth and students want from their government.

Among other things, the document demands reforms in the following areas:

Immediate Demilitarization: The War on Drugs is a War Against the People; Its US origins violate Mexican national solidarity; Youth have already won a major victory, curbing national military service and converting it to social service.

End the Violence and Impunity: The systemic violates human rights, and negatively affects women, young girls and boys, and youth.

Decriminalization of Drug Consumption: The drug war must be seen as a public health problem; legalization must be debated, and prohibition opposed as it enriches the political class and drug traffickers.

Lives with Dignity: Death lives among urban and rural marginalized populations, neoliberal policies have inflicted instability and misery in people's lives, making them move, making low-level drug trafficking a survival strategy.

Art and Culture for All: Decommodifying artistic and cultural expressions.

Education: Guaranteed access for all and policies that promote human liberation tied to creativity.

The Youth Declaration embraces a new type of anti-prohibition, an anti-violence strategy national in scope and local in significance. It defines the next steps to follow in order to secure the objectives, outlined above.

- Convene a plural, inclusive, democratic space to discuss and construct the proposal of our Pact for Rebuilding the Nation on May 9 at 10 in the morning at the Journalists’ Club (Club de Periodistas) in Mexico City

- Propose to the new forum that a national body be formed to struggle for Peace with Justice and Dignity

- Organize mobilizations at the headquarters of the institutions responsible for the war

- Occupy symbolic spaces and build organizing centers with regular activities that allow us to have a presence and be a point of reference in the fight for Peace with Justice and Dignity

- Build a strategy to consolidate this process we’ve begun today based on the following initiatives.

- Convene a national meeting in Ciudad Juarez within the framework of the Signing of the Pact, which would follow up on youth networking and organizing

- Convene Committees for Peace with Justice and Dignity in every school, neighborhood, community or work center

- Convene a second Youth Meeting for Sept. 1-3 at UNAM’s University City

- Pay homage to the children and mothers killed in the armed conflict on May 10 in Mexico City’s Zocalo

-National Art and Culture Festival for Peace in Mexico, along with a protest march

- Organize an international academic forum for discussion of the armed conflict and the social problem at its root.

No conclusion yet exists to summarize what is happening in Mexico. The Mexican population of various generations and in various parts of the country seems fed up with Washington's security discourse, promoted by the Calderon government. Something IS happening here. And what is happening stands directly in contrast to the drug war policy objectives of Barack Obama's government.

Better to Live: Mexicans Mobilize against the Drug War

2011-05-02T10:51:00.003-05:00

The last few months have seen bodies heaped upon bodies in Mexico. In some cases, the heaping is quite literal: drug graves have been opened up in the northern Gulf state of Tamaulipas, the largest contained almost two hundred people. Authorities sent cadavers to Mexico City for identification by forensic specialists. Though killed by drug gangs, investigators in Tamaulipas suggest that the local police was complicit.

And yet the greatest outcry to this uptick in brutality came in the wake of the deaths of several teenagers in Cuernavaca, just south of Mexico City. Cuernavaca is known as the city of eternal spring, it has an enviable climate: spring, all year round, and is the second home for many Mexico City residents. It's now also known as the place where poet, writer, and journalist Javier Sicilia initiated protests against the Mexican government and its failed drug war policies. Why has Sicilia become an outspokent figurehead for pain? At the end of March, Sicilia had to confront that which all parents fear, the death of his son. Juanelo Sicilia and six other friends were found dead in a car near Cuernavaca, the result of drug war violence.

Deaths in Mexico attributed to the drug war now number 35,000 since 2006. Juanelo Sicilia and his friends are yet more grim statistics. Yet Javier Sicilia decided to use the deaths of his son, and those of his friends, to move people to protest the violence in Mexico, its scope, and President Felipe Calderon's inability to imagine his government acting in ways that do not heighten violence.

At the end of March Javier Sicilia convened a national series of marches. The Cuernavaca march ended up being the largest in the city's history. He also convened more marches for the week of 5 - 8 May. The second Cuernavaca march starts on 5 May and ends in Mexico City's main square, zocalo, on 8 May, a distance of almost 100kms. Many Mexican cities are participating, as are some foreign cities. You can find a list of registered marches, here.

Organizing Tip of the Week: Use Gmail to work smarter, not harder

2011-04-30T14:44:00.004-05:00

There are tons of reasons why having a Gmail account is a great idea for your SSDP chapter:

easy to remember & promote
presents a professional image of your group
allows more than just one person to access
preserves institutional knowledge
ability to utilize other Google services (many chapters find Groups, Documents, Calendar to be particularly helpful)
and the list goes on...

It's simple and free to create a Gmail account for your SSDP chapter (ex: RowanSSDP@gmail.com). Then, set it up so that your chapter e-mails get forwarded to your regular e-mail inbox (ex: JaneChapterLeader@gmail.com).

It's easy to forget to check multiple e-mail accounts, so once you've set up forwarding, you'll have all of your messages in one central location. I did this for the first time in 2005 when my @umd.edu e-mail address was created. I didn't like the school's mail program so I had it forward to a @gmail.com account I created and I've never used anything else since.

Share responsibility for managing your chapter e-mail with your other officers. Provide them with the password to access your chapter Gmail account, and show them how to set up forwarding for themselves.

Then you'll all be able to see what messages have been sent, received, and which ones still need to be taken care of. Not to mention, future chapter leaders will likely appreciate having so much institutional knowledge categorized and accessible by searching for key terms or names that appear in older e-mails.

Already an avid Gmail user?
Take organizing to the next level by using Gmail filters to tame your inbox. These are especially useful for managing those useful but often high-volume Facebook notifications.

Sneak a peak inside my own inbox.
Watch this short screencast and you'll see how I set up a new filter, then I'll show you my existing filters --I have more than 50!-- that help me manage my e-mail.

(Sidenote: I used this awesome free screencapture program, Jing, to record this. More on screen sharing and other helpful web tools to come!)

I hope you find this information helpful, stay tuned for more organizing tips of the week by subscribing to the Dare Generation Diary and by joining our community on Facebook.

Easy Star All Stars help spread the PA medical marijuana message

2011-04-29T20:57:00.000-05:00

When Trevor Hosterman from West Chester SSDP volunteered to table the April 17th Easy Star All Stars/Cas Haley show at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA, he had no idea he'd end up on stage with the band. ESAS and Cas Haley are both in the AMPLIFY project family of artists, but not until now has an artist given our chapters such a voice. Here's what Trevor had to say about his experience:

The musical collective and SSDP AMPLIFY member, The Easy Star All Stars, had just wrapped up their set and walked off the stage, leaving the crowd inside the World Café Live in Philadelphia standing on edge, eager to hear more dubbed out tunes. Periodically, over the course of the show, I had held up a PA Medical Marijuana poster that we had been using while tabling the concert. I now found it appropriate to hold up the sign once more while the crowd waited for the All Stars to take the stage for their encore. It was then, that vocalist Kristy Rock walked out on to the stage and pointed at me and asked me to come join the band. I was dumbstruck, but managed to find my way up onto the stage where I came face to face with the crowd, proudly holding my PA Medical Marijuana poster. Once on stage, side by side with Kristy, she smiled at me, and began to tell a story. She spoke of her mother who lives in Denver, and how she is currently battling cancer, and is enduring the process of chemotherapy. Her mother is also a medical marijuana patient, and uses marijuana to help treat the pain and nausea associated with her chemotherapy treatments. Kristy gave a full endorsement of medical marijuana, and then handed me the microphone to inform the audience of our pending medical marijuana bill. I will ask you the same thing I asked the crowd, for those of us who live in Pennsylvania or have friends and family in the state, please encourage everyone you know to contact their state representative by phone, email, or writing a letter, and lets make Pennsylvania the next medical marijuana state!

This is just one example of how SSDP's AMPLIFY project can help your chapter's voice reach more people. The First Light Tour may be coming to a close soon, but you can always keep track of AMPLIFY shows here.

Feds Send Warning to Rhode Island: Compassion Centers Violate Federal Law

2011-04-29T17:54:00.001-05:00

Rhode Island's Medical Marijuana Program has been a shining example of a successful and sensible drug policy. Most importantly, it's supported by the state's voters and legislature. But with three non-profit compassion centers set to open in the next few months, the federal government is now threatening it could prosecute in a three page hand-delivered letter to Gov. Lincoln Chaffee:

"The Act, the registration scheme it purports to authorize, and the anticipated operation of the three centers appear to permit large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution," Neronha wrote.

"Accordingly, the Department of Justice could consider civil and criminal legal remedies against those individuals and entities who set up marijuana growing facilities and dispensaries, as such actions are in violation of federal law."

The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act was enacted in 2006 by the state's legislature. When then Gov. Donald Carcieri vetoed the bill, the legislature overrode him. The same happened with compassion center legislation.

The law also has support from members of RI's medical community:

Rhode Island Medical Society
RI Academy for Family Physicians
Rhode Island State Nurses Association
United Nurses and Allied Professionals
AIDS Project Rhode Island

Federal government: Rhode Islanders think our medical marijuana law is wicked awesome and you have better things to do then trample our rights and waste federal resources (don't you?).

Gov. Chaffee and other elected officials: Tell the Department of Justice to back off.

*I'm from Rhode Island and was once an intern with the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition

Oklahoma Makes Hash Manufacturing a Felony Punishable by Life in Prison

2011-04-29T16:09:00.002-05:00

You read that correctly. The Oklahoma legislature just passed a bill that would make manufacturing hash a felony punishable by life in prison.

Sadly, the bill met little to no opposition and is now awaiting the signature of Governor Mary Falin:

The measure sailed through the Senate with little debate, passing on a vote of 44-2. The House also approved the measure by a large margin, passing it on a vote of 75-18.

The bill, House Bill 1798, creates a new felony of converting marijuana into hash. A first conviction could garner a $50,000 fine and prison sentence of two years to life. And that's a mandatory minimum two years. Second or subsequent convictions would net doubled penalties.

Dan Riffe at the Marijuana Policy Project points out just how absurd this new law is:

Here are some other crimes and their maximum punishments under Oklahoma law:
Domestic abuse = 1 year
Drinking and driving with a child in the car = 4 years
Aggravated assault resulting in "great physical injury" = 5 years
Assault with intent to kill = 5 years
Kidnapping a child = 5 years
Second degree rape = 15 years
Sexual battery of a child = 20 years

If you're a citizen of Oklahoma, contact Gov. Falin today and tell her to veto this bad bill.

At 2011 NORML Conference, SSDP & the NORML Women's Alliance announce "Sister-to-Sister"

2011-04-26T12:30:00.012-05:00

Last week, Aaron Houston and I represented SSDP at the 40th Anniversary NORML Conference in Denver, CO. Aaron spoke on Thursday's panel, "The Feds, Marijuana and You" (watch the video here).

On Friday, I had the pleasure of joining 4 incredibly inspiring women reformers on the "Closing the Cannabis Gender Gap" panel (full video here, I'm the last speaker beginning ~45:00) See the slides from our presentation on our website. It was there that we announced the launch of an exciting new project that SSDP is proud to be working on with the NORML Women's Alliance.

The purpose and goals for "Sister-to-Sister" Cultivating Female Activists Mentoring Project are as follows:

To connect women in the marijuana movement with each other in order to facilitate a close-knit community of female drug law reform advocates.
To make women feel welcomed as part of the larger reform movement by connecting those who have been involved for less than 2-3 years with those who have been involved for more than 2-3 years.
To build strong professional and personal relationships between women of all demographics who wouldn’t have otherwise been introduced to one another.
To share skills, information, resources, contacts, and other useful knowledge that will help female reformers be more engaged and more effective as they work toward common interests.
To empower and instill confidence in women who are interested in seeking leadership positions within their respective groups and organizations.
To help close the gender gap that currently exists within the marijuana law reform community.

To read more about "Sister-to-Sister" and to find applications for the program visit our website and to learn more about the NORML Women's Alliance, visit norml.org/women.

The Last Sacred Cow: FAMM on Cutting Criminal Justice Spending

2011-04-25T15:19:00.000-05:00

In the video above, Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) director Julie Stewart speaks during a briefing on Capitol Hill titled, "The Last Sacred Cow: How Congress Can Cut Criminal Justice Spending Without Compromising Public Safety." The briefing featured prominent conservative leaders such as Tim Lynch of the Cato Institute and Grover Norquist, highlighting the importance of criminal justice reform.

FAMM has put together an incredibly useful fact sheet citing specific actions Congress can take to reduce criminal justice spending.

More videos from the briefing are here:
Part 2: Asa Hutchinson
Part 3: Tim Lynch, Cato Institute
Part 4: Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform

SSDP Tip of the Week: Get Visible on Campus!

2011-04-15T19:00:00.006-05:00

Use posters, events, and media to
magnify your chapter's visibility on campus!

We're starting a new series of blog posts aimed at helping you run successful chapters that engage in campaigns, constantly recruit new members, and become the most active and exciting groups on campus. To start things off, here's a lesson on visibility.

It might seem like a no-brainer, but if you're not promoting your chapter's meetings, events or campaigns, then how will people know to join SSDP? Check out these great and easy ways to make sure people know about SSDP at your school.

Posters: Make sure you're putting up flyers every week to promote your chapter's meetings. This simple action is likely to not only increase attendance at your meetings, but it will make sure people are at least familiar with SSDP. If you have members that are talented graphic designers, put them to work! When the posters are printed, make putting them up around campus a fun team effort.
Events: Events, small or large, prove to your campus community that SSDP is active and working hard. It doesn't matter if it's a simple movie screening or a day long symposium on the injustice of the drug war, if you're constantly providing the community with opportunities to learn about drug policy, you'll bring credibility to your chapter and awareness to our mission. Events keep your chapter members interested and engaged. In addition to all this, if your chapter is consistently active, it will be hard for anyone on campus to try and stereotype SSDP members (we know the opposition tends to rely on name calling because the facts are on our side!).

Events are also great for highlighting campaigns you might be working on and really help to draw in new members that might not otherwise attend a general meeting. For instance, if you're just starting a chapter, consider holding a Know Your Rights movie screening and Q&A before your first meeting. That event is likely to draw in a much more diverse and possibly larger audience than the meeting would, providing you with the perfect opportunity to pitch SSDP and promote your upcoming general meeting!

Campus Radio and TV: Reach out to shows on your campus radio or television stations and offer to give an interview about SSDP or a relevant drug policy issue. For example, if a medical marijuana bill was recently voted on in your state, that's a great opportunity for you to lend your expertise on the bill. Be proactive - don't wait for them to contact you. Once you're on the show, they're likely to call you back when similar stories arise.
Letters to the Editor: Probably one of the easiest ways to increase your chapter's visibility is to frequently submit letters to the editor to your campus paper and local media outlets. As a recognized student group, there is a high probability your piece will be published. Plus, LTE's are generally around 150 words so you can write one in about 10 minutes!
Build Coalitions: Research other groups on your campus and reach out to them by offering to combine efforts and work together. Groups working on issues like human rights, criminal justice, personal liberty, the environment, economics and racial injustice all tie into aspects of the drug war. Attend their meetings and see what you can do to help them - not only what they can do to help SSDP.

I hope you've found this helpful. Each of the items listed here will be expanded on in upcoming "Tips of the Week" so subscribe to the SSDP Blog RSS feed and be sure to read through the SSDP Student Organizing Manual (soon to revised and updated!).

Why Republicans Didn't Block Medical Marijuana or Needle Exchange

2011-04-14T14:24:00.001-05:00

President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker John Boehner worked out an agreement that avoided a federal government shutdown this past week. In order to reach a deal, Obama and Reid bowed to GOP demands to ban the District of Columbia from using any money to fund abortions.

But for all of the fierce partisan debate surrounding budget cuts and social "riders," several supposedly hot-button issues were conspicuously absent from the bickering, namely medical marijuana and needle exchange programs in DC. This is a new development. Until just last year, the District was banned by federal law from implementing a medical marijuana law its residents overwhelmingly passed in 1998.

What happened? Did Republican leaders' hearts grow several sizes?

Both parties have realized that, when it comes to cultural issues, they are roughly a decade behind the rest of the country, and they've taken notice of the fact that we are at a tipping point on drug policy reform. Leaders in Congress are smart people, and they tend to have some thoughtful advisors. But those advisors are practical, even cynical. So it's particularly notable when cynical, win-at-all-costs strategists abandon what they previously used as a platform for scoring points on the other side. They haven't done so because they suddenly looked in the mirror and felt icky about being dishonest. Leaders in both parties have realized that the old reefer madness strategies simply don't work anymore.

New Chapter Spotlight: Lewis & Clark College

2011-04-11T12:48:00.001-05:00

One of SSDP's newest chapters, Lewis & Clark College located in Portland, OR, has jumped right into forming an active student group with a focus on reforming Oregon's marijuana laws. One thing I been incredibly impressed with is chapter founder Christopher Van Putten's enthusiasm and his ability to get the Lewis & Clark chapter officially recognized and up in running in just about one week! I asked Chris a few questions about his experiences with SSDP so far.

How did you find out about SSDP and what made you want to start a chapter?
I was first introduces to Students for Sensible Drug Policy when I matriculated to Lewis & Clark College. A skit was performed about alcohol policy at the college and while there was no chapter at our college, SSDP was somehow involved. I didn't pay the organization any attention until returning to Lewis & Clark this spring. I worked for four months last spring on Washington State's marijuana legalization initiative as a county volunteer coordinator. I followed the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act of 2010 which was mostly ignored in light of Oregon's measure to create medical cannabis dispensaries. My creation of the Lewis & Clark chapter has been motivated mostly by my interest in seeing the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act of 2012 qualify for the ballot, then pass when voted on.

Was getting your chapter started a challenge? Fortunately Lewis & Clark College is quite hospitable to students who are interested in creating new student organizations. After about a week of planning and finding a faculty advisor I signed on as the primary student contact with another reformer signing on as secondary contact. Our chapter was officially recognized by the school about one week after I decided to create the chapter. We also lucked out on applying for a budget at the right time. Two weeks after our certification we had a scheduled hearing with the Finance Committee to propose a budget for the 2011-2012 academic year.

What campaigns does Lewis & Clark SSDP plan to work on? Lewis & Clark College SSDP has already been working on the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act of 2012 which would legalize the Cannabis genus, both industrial hemp as well as marijuana for adults 21 and over. The act creates a new committee called the Oregon Cannabis Commission and places a structure of growth and sale of cannabis is a fashion akin to liquor. The act also legalizes adult (21 and over) cultivation of marijuana without sale. We are also working on Washington State's I-1149 which removes all civil and criminal penalties for adults 18 and over relating to cannabis, except driving under the influence.

Do you have any advice for other new chapter leaders? Fortunately Lewis & Clark has a very cannabis-friendly student body. This has been a wonderful tool for establishing the organization, already having petitions in hand when recruiting members into the organization. If you already have an item to work on, prospective chapter members will be more engaged knowing that you already know one campaign you'll be working on.

Outstanding Student Activist Award: Christopher Pezza

2011-04-08T15:48:00.000-05:00

Chris after meeting with Congressional
Representatives in Washington, D.C.

At the 2011 SSDP Awards Dinner, Christopher Pezza was one of only two students recognized for their outstanding activism within SSDP.

Impressively, Chris has formed not one, but two SSDP chapters that are both currently active in Colorado. First, he organized students at Front Range Community College in Longmont. Under his leadership, the FRCC chapter worked on numerous campaigns and helped spread SSDP throughout the state. Before transferring to the University of Northern Colorado, Chris ensured that leadership was successfully passed on to Nick Davies (who earned himself Chapter Leader of the Week back in December 2010).

At UNCO, Chris quickly formed a new chapter of SSDP, and recruited other enthusiastic activists to help spread the message. He's currently campaigning for Director of University Relations position in the UNCO student senate.

In addition to all this, Chris now volunteers as SSDP's Colorado State Coordinator, helping to increase communication among established chapters in the state and also proactively seeking students to form new chapters.

2 brand new SSDP chapters now on the map!

2011-04-08T15:33:00.013-05:00

We're excited to announce the two newest additions to our chapter network this week. Welcome to the team, GWU Law and Wheaton SSDP!

The George Washington University Law School - Washington, DC (Mid-Altantic Region)

Kellen Ruscinello is currently pursuing his JD/MPH degrees as a 2nd year student at GWU Law. Since 2010, he has served as President of the GW Student Association for Drug Law Reform, which was re-chartered yesterday as GW Law Students for Sensible Drug Policy! The group has been hard at work this school year, they've held several events including yesterday's panel entitled "Mexico: Violence, Corruption and Drugs: Social Issues and Reform in Mexico" with Maureen Meyer from the Washington Office on Latin America and Eric Sterling from the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. GWLSSDP joins our network as our fifth law school chapter, see the full list here.

Wheaton College - Norton, MA (Northeast Region)

In January, James Salamon heard about SSDP when his professor brought us up in his Mysticism and Spirituality course. After doing some of his own research and becoming more and more intrigued by the issue, he got in touch with the national staff to get the ball rolling. Earlier this week, Wheaton SSDP stood before their Student Government Association and received official student group recognition! As a group, they feel that their presence on campus can act as an educational tool to the college community and beyond.

Outstanding Alum Award: Victor Pinho

2011-03-31T21:56:00.028-05:00

Victor became involved with drug policy when he founded the University of Maryland chapter of NORML in 2005. There he teamed up with the campus chapter of SSDP and established a reputation of solid membership, leadership, and political credibility within the drug policy reform efforts at UMD.

As an alum, he continued to stay involved. After graduating in 2006 and moving back to his home state of New Jersey, Victor took an active role in advising new chapter leaders, contributing to discussions via e-mail, organizing leadership retreats and strategy sessions, and providing general advice and support from his experiences. He also organized the first northeast regional SSDP camping trip in 2009, which has since become an annual tradition and has grown to over 60 attendees (we are planning to return to Cedar Rapids Campgrounds in Barryville, NY for a third time this summer, join the NE regional Facebook group to receive updates). Victor has returned to UMD's campus as a speaker on several occasions, including an event last November, as well as speaking on the "Ask an alum!" workshop during our conference last month where he also organized an SSDP alumni network dinner.

Outside of campus, Victor has been active in New Jersey state drug policy reform efforts. As a Community Organizer with the Coalition for Medical Marijuana of NJ, Victor organizes media events and coordinates public education efforts. Most recently, he has begun work on developing a 911 Amnesty Policy for the Garden State.

Victor currently volunteers his time to SSDP through his role as New Jersey State Coordinator. Greg Hansch, graduate student adviser to our Rutgers - New Brunswick chapter, shares some insight on the value of Victor's role in NJ:

" The guidance that he has provided Rutgers and other chapters in the state has been critical to those chapters' formation and growth. He has not only been great about emailing us and talking to us on the phone when we need help, but he also has come to New Brunswick on several occasions and led planning meetings, introduced guest speakers, and gave a pro-bono presentation on medical marijuana in New Jersey. His connections to other drug policy reformers in the area have provided us with some amazing guest speakers. Victor's the man. Thanks for taking the time to honor a truly outstanding SSDP alum!"

Victor led by example and established a tradition of smooth leadership transition, allowing UMD SSDP and NORML Terps to continue to thrive. I saw him working hard, taking initiative, conducting research, writing letters to the editor and working with the media on a variety of issues. I also saw how other campus leaders turned to Victor as an expert in all matters related to marijuana and other drug policies. I can say from personal experience that without Victor's leadership, UMD SSDP and NORML Terps would not be where they are today. We've been able to follow his lead. And because of the solid foundation built by him and others, I'm confident that the impression he left during his time at UMD isn't going away anytime soon.

Chapter Leader of the Week: Brandon Levey, University of Maryland

2011-03-31T21:40:00.010-05:00

Brandon Levey
Junior at the University of Maryland, College Park
Co-President with Zach Brown at UMD SSDP (longest active chapter in SSDP history, and still going strong!)

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?

LEVEY: I first got active in SSDP at the end of my first semester in college, in the spring semester of 2009. I looked through the student group directory that semester, checked out a few student groups, and of many groups found SSDP and NORML at UMD to be the ones that really were trying to make a difference. The members, people who I didn't know at the time but now are some of my closest friends, seemed the most committed, most organized, and most ready to make change.

SSDP: What has been your favorite SSDP experience?

LEVEY: When we were pushing for a Good Samaritan Policy (something that ended with success this semester!), we decided to reach out to parents on "Visit Maryland Weekend." While I knew that a GSP was something that was important, I was new to SSDP and a bit skeptical about talking to parents, an audience that might not have been as receptive to some of our issues as students. However, to my surprise, the parents were just as supportive of the policy as the students!
This was when I realized that SSDP was really a group that could appeal to all demographics. Drug policy reform is not at all limited to students or people our age, but is something that would positively affect everybody, even if they don't realize it yet.

SSDP: What issues are most important for your chapter?

LEVEY: In the 1980's, Len Bias, a rising basketball star, was about to graduate from our school when he died of a cocaine overdose. More recently, there have been other UMD drug and alcohol overdose deaths, including Danny Reardon of an alcohol overdose in 2002. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, these deaths led to a University and even statewide crackdown on underage drinking and drug use, with harsher penalties and even the establishment of mandatory minimums.

Thanks to the incredible past leadership in our chapter, however, we finally got a Good Samaritan Policy covering alcohol overdose for both the victim and caller passed this semester. The general mindset on our campus has changed drastically towards a harm reduction rather than punitive approach, and SSDP has played the vital role in this. We hope to work and make this Good Samaritan Policy comprehensive in the coming year, and also plan on working towards an "alcohol-marijuana equalization" initiative. The punishments in our university for marijuana use are some of the strictest in the nation, and we will be pushing for more rational policies

SSDP: Do you have any events planned for this semester?

LEVEY: We've got a ton! Just in April alone, we are having a "religion, spirituality, and drug use" event where we will be hosting a campus Rabbi to discuss religious texts and how they look at drug use, both legal and illegal. We also plan on having Neill Franklin from LEAP at the end of this month, and having an event with our campus NORML chapter on the prohibition of synthetics such as K2 and Spice.
On the "fun and networking" side, SSDP and NORML on campus are hosting a "Safe Rave"- a rave to benefit our groups with harm reduction drug information and free water, as well as "Domefest"- a music festival featuring Papadosio and giving us an excellent opportunity to network with other groups and people on campus. Additionally, we will be participating in Relay for Life with many other students from around campus.
Join our Facebook group and/or our e-mail list to stay informed about these and other events at UMD.

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?

LEVEY: The people, and the fact that all of us together really are making such an amazing change- on a school, local, regional, and even national level. Victory is coming sooner than we think.

SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?

LEVEY: Get as many new members as you can to conferences, both regional, national, and international! The one thing that will keep a member involved really is experiencing first-hand how awesome, organized, effective and fun SSDP is! Also, make sure that SSDP isn't a "meeting-only" type of organization by making sure to interact with active members in a different more relaxed setting as well.

SSDP: What's your favorite "SSDP quote"?

LEVEY: One of our super rock stars and chapter leaders, our secretary Justin Kander, said this about ending the drug war and allowing people to live in freedom:
"I'm just happy we have the opportunity to help eliminate pain the world, whatever we can do. Right now we sit in such comfort, but life can be absolutely destroyed by pain.. It must be eliminated to the greatest extent, no matter what, which is why we must keep fighting for what is right."

Outstanding Student Activist Award: Katharine Celentano

2011-03-29T19:38:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month over 400 people gathered at our 2011 Training Conference and Lobby Day, and to wrap things up on the last day, SSDP recognized the achievements of several extraordinary student and non-student members during the Awards Ceremony and Benefit Concert. In the coming weeks, keep an eye out as we will write one blog post for each award recipient highlighting the hard work that made them stand out from the crowd.

Two students each year receive the "Outstanding Student Activist" award. In our first award profile, it's easy to see why Katharine Celentano (Columbia University) deserves this honor. In fact, I think "outstanding" might even be an understatement...

Katharine Celentano made hundreds of calls to California voters last year urging them to support the passage of Proposition 19 to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Katharine earned the title of "Professional Phonebanker" using the Just Say Now phonebanking tool, rising to and staying near the top of the leaderboard during the entire campaign. With 551 points earned, only two others made more calls than she did, all while tackling her first semester of rigorous coursework studying Neuroscience and Behavior at CU.

Katharine has been advocating for a Good Samaritan policy on campus at Columbia, currently the only Ivy League school that does not protect students from punishment when calling 911 in alcohol and other drug related medical emergencies. Because of the work she and others have done, the school administration is now closer than ever to adopting this life-saving overdose prevention policy.

She also initiated a coordinated media response to last year's "Operation Ivy League" drug bust involving five Columbia students, shining light on campus drug law enforcement and calling for a change in policing practices.

Last month, she helped draft and issue this press release in response to startling data indicating an increase in low-level marijuana arrests targeting youth and people of color in New York city.

Katharine has been instrumental in building a coalition of on- and off-campus individuals and groups such as CHURON, the Columbia University Harm Reduction Outreach Network, and the Washington Heights CORNER Project, a local syringe exchange program, to coordinate harm reduction efforts with the SSDP chapter across all CU schools at the university as well as within the larger community.

This is not the first time we've told you about her work, and it certainly won't be the last.

Congratulations Katharine!

Sign the Letter to AG Holder: Stop the Raids

2011-03-29T13:36:00.000-05:00

Despite the Department of Justice memo advising the DEA and federal prosecutors not to spend resources arresting medical marijuana patients and raiding medical marijuana providers in states that have passed legislation protecting these people, federal agents have recently shut down 26 medical cannabis dispensaries in Montana and California.

Just Say Now, SSDP's partnership with Firedoglake has written a letter telling Attorney General Holder to enforce his memo and prohibit federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries. We want you to sign on to the letter.

As Attorney General, Holder has the ability to enforce his memo and end these raids. He should send a strong message that federal law enforcement resources should not be abused and wasted to override state's rights.

Click here to sign the letter: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/fedraids

Meet the 3 newest SSDP chapters!

2011-03-28T13:48:00.012-05:00

We're proud to welcome new officially established SSDP chapters at Louisiana State University - Shreveport, University of Houston - Clear Lake, and University of Pittsburgh this week! Read more about each new group and the student leaders who founded them.

Louisiana State University - Shreveport
Shreveport, LA - Southern Region
The LSUS Student News covered the newly created chapter, watch an excerpt of the video report here.

Rachal Cox learned about SSDP from friends who are involved in one of our strongest chapters at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville. Currently, LSUS is our only active chapter in Louisiana, and they've quickly gotten things up and running in just a few short weeks.

University of Houston - Clear Lake
Houston, TX - Southern Region
Klaire Moss found SSDP online last summer and was interested in developing her skills as an activist. Using the resources we have available, she gathered other interested students and went through the school's process for creating a new student organization. This new chapter makes 2 in the city of Houston, TX, joining the University of Houston as strong voices for reform in the south.

University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA - Northeast Region
Julia Johnson and the other students at UPitt have been working on establishing their chapter since last semester, and just received official student group recognition last week! They've already begun to work with the local NORML chapter on marijuana policy related events. Also, UPitt SSDP will be tabling at this Bassnectar show as part of our AMPLIFY project. Be sure to stop by!

What they're saying about our conference...

2011-03-24T11:02:00.004-05:00

SSDP's 2011 Training Conference & Lobby Day was an inspiring event that spoke volumes to the organization's pivotal role in the effort to bring common sense to drug policy. More than 400 students from all over the country came together not just to learn about policy, but to gain the tools needed to become effective activists who are prepared to take on the challenges and opportunities facing us over the next two years. All told, we had students from 28 states and the District of Columbia representing 78 high schools, colleges, and universities across the U.S. in attendance last weekend!

We've surveyed some of our attendees and asked what they learned from this three day event and how it has impacted them. Here's what they're saying:

I learned a lot of information ranging everywhere from how to properly advertise our club and how to handle and question politicians. As a newer member of SSDP the breakout sessions regarding chapter management and events were especially useful and taught me a lot of lessons that I was able to take home.
- Kyle Seewald, Michigan State University

I can't even begin to explain how much I learned at the conference. I am a freshman and have little to no experience on lobbying for drug policy and keeping my chapter going. Before this conference I was really worried about keeping my chapter going once all of our seniors left, but now I feel completely prepared. I learned how to professionally lobby, how to keep the reputation of our club clean and professional, how to recruit and keep members, how to successfully advertise for events and meetings, and most importantly I developed strong bonds with other chapter leaders in Florida which will help when we all need to get together to lobby for the new Florida Medical Marijuana Bill. All together an amazing experience!!
- Mallory Wharton, Florida State University

I now have a better idea of how to run the SSDP chapter at Washington State University, as well as how to effectively advocate for sensible drug policies. I'm going to look up my schools policies on drugs and begin a campaign to change the ones that aren't sensible.
- Charles Rollins, Washington State University

I learned a great deal more about lobbying and how to approach elected officials. In addition I came back with so many great ideas for our chapter. The rest of our semester is going to be full of inspiration that we took from the conference. Seeing all of these amazing activists also inspired us to do even more and to really push our fight through.
- Josh Merer, West Chester University

I learned how to network (and did a lot of it, too!). Also, the workshops helped me get a grasp on how to effectively organize events that combine working to change policy (the point of the club) with campus outreach/student involvement/campus education (my officer position). On a personal level, I was really moved to continue working for the cause. Seeing so many people excited about drug policy reform made me realize that true change is right around the corner!
- Rose Bono, Virgina Commonwealth University

This conference was my third international conference, and each one is better than the last. Thank you so much to the national staff for all their hard work.
- Chris Wallis, Kent State University

SSDP has directed my rebelliousness into action, my indifference into desire for good. SSDP has thrown my life in a completely different direction with the connections to make all my dreams come true. Changed my values from wanting to be just another criminal lawyer to a position where I can cause change and do the research necessary to find the right solutions. SSDP has connected me with bright minds and more scholarly possibilities than I could have ever expected and given me the ability to develop the leadership I needed to succeed.
- Axel Bilbao, University of Central Florida

I absolutely loved the conference. The amazing energy and bond between everyone in attendance was unbelievable and a new experience for me. All of the people I met were wonderful, and it was incredible to share time with so many amazing people, including the staff who organized the event. Attending the SSDP conference has solidified my desire to attend future conferences, including the DPA conference in November. Thank you to everyone who made it one of the experiences of my life!
- Jurriaan van den Hurk, Virgina Commonwealth University

I would like to sincerely express my appreciation for everyone who contributed to the conference. One of the things that makes me passionate about our organization is that each of us have our own characteristics that make us unique and stand out from one another, although we find common beliefs and influences that help us stand together for common goals and aspirations. It truly was an unforgettable experience that will have an everlasting impression on not only our professional perspectives but interpersonal as well. If we don't stand up for injustice, who will?
- Jason Malonson, Northwest Arkansas Community College

Help support the amazing work of these chapters by making a donation today.

Mexico: First National Congress: The History and Practice of Drugs, An Anthropological Vision

2011-03-16T15:07:00.007-05:00

Mexico City, Mexico -- On the eve of SSDP's annual training conference in Washington, DC, students at Mexico City's National School of Anthropology (ENAH) are preparing to hold their first national congress, from 11 - 14 April. Called "The History and Practice of Drugs: An Anthropological Vision," the students at the ENAH hope to dispel myths and inform various university communities in the capital about the legitimate study of drugs absent the prohibitionist paradigm.

SSDPs around the world (SSDPUK, SSDP International , Canada SSDP) often put together pathbreaking congresses and conferences. This March and April are no exception: as I write, around 400 students are descending on Washington, DC for a training conference and lobby day; Canada SSDP has just finished a crucial lobby day at Parliament; and SSDPUK is about to meet for its annual conference.

The Mexico City Congress brings a diversity of groups together. It unites SSDP Mexico with other local partners: SEISYC (Applied Visual Anthropology), CuPIHD (The Collective for An Integrated Drug Policy), ZombieNation FM, Espolea (A Civil Society Youth Organization), Biblioteca Cannabica (Cannabis Library), and the Escuela Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (ENAH, the National Anthropological School.) The event is intellectual and practical, as the workshops will help future members of SSDP understand how the organization has worked to reform failing drug policies under a regulationist paradigm. From the Congress, SSDP Mexico hopes to generate interest in forming chapters in universities, schools, centers, and institutes.

Across activities and events for three days, around thirty presenters will discuss issues such as Women and Drugs, Health and Illness, Drug Policy and Politics, Drugs and Human Rights, and Psychodelic Medicine. Espolea will present workshops on drug consumption and harm reduction, a crucial boon to Mexican youth who are often taught the ins and outs of drugs in schools by ideologically-motivated police officers. And there will be a photography exhibit and competition. The Congress begins with a keynote address by Julio Glockner, a renowned anthropologist, enitled "Altered Reality: Spiritual Drugs and Culture."

The organizers warmly welcome any who read this outside of Mexico to consider coming to the conference. There is no possibility of support save some limited accommodation space, but all interested parties are more than welcome.

AMPLIFY Artist Addition: Cas Haley

2011-03-12T10:19:00.004-05:00

SSDP's AMPLIFY Project is proud to announce Cas Haley as our newest addition to the AMPLIFY artist family! We're excited to add an artist that has proved determination, hard work, and good vibes can take you a long way (not to mention incredible talent!). Head over to his facebook page and show him some love! Cas' story is pretty cool:

His crystalline voice and funky, easygoing beats earned Cas Haley a second-place finish on America’s Got Talent, which in turn netted him a measure of fame and a following. But the contest also locked the Texan singer/songwriter/guitarist into a major label deal that didn’t feel right. So, not wanting to be turned into a manufactured product, he struck out on his own. Connection, his Easy Star Records debut, is aptly named. It’s all about those deep-running connections that make him what he is—those unbreakable links between artist and audience, between styles of music, between art and life, and most of all, between all people. As Cas points out, reggae’s core message is, after all, "one love."

Cas is about to hit the road with AMPLIFY artists Easy Star All Stars and The Green just in time for spring. What better way to warm up after a chilly winter than signing up your SSDP chapter for some of these shows?

3/23 Mt. Snow - Mt. Snow, VT
3/31 Bourbon Quarter - Baltimore, MD
4/1 Jefferson Theatre - Charlottesville, VA
4/2 The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
4/3 Cat’s Cradle - Carrboro, NC
4/5 The Soapbox - Wilmington, NC
4/6 The Music Farm - Charleston, SC
4/7 Freebird Live - Jacksonville, FL
4/8 Plaza Theatre - Orlando, FL (part of Florida Music Fest)
4/9 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
4/10 State Theatre - St. Petersburg, FL
4/12 Common Grounds - Gainesville, FL
4/13 Seville Quarters - Pensacola, FL
4/14 New Earth Music Hall - Athens, GA
4/16 World Café Live - Wilmington, DE
4/17 World Café Live - Philadelphia, PA
4/20 Highline Ballroom - New York, NY (w/ AMPLIFY artist John Brown's Body)
4/21 Castaways - Ithaca, NY
4/22 Westcott Theatre - Syracuse, NY (w/ AMPLIFY artist John Brown's Body)
4/23 The Great Hall - Toronto, ON
4/25 Cabaret Mile End - Montreal, QC
4/26 Higher Ground - Burlington, VT

Congressman Jared Polis to Speak at SSDP Conference

2011-03-09T17:35:00.002-05:00

Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) will be giving a keynote speech on the evening of March 17, as part of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy Training Conference & Lobby Day. Representative Polis is an ally of SSDP and an advocate for sensible drug policies. We are delighted to have him speak at our event.

Other speakers at the conference include:

Ethan Nadelmann, Drug Policy Alliance
Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake and Just Say Now
Brian Wallace, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Aaron Houston, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Jill Harris, Drug Policy Alliance
Jasmine Tyler, Drug Policy Alliance

This is very much a conference for students by students! Many sessions and workshops will be led by some of SSDP's most experienced student activists and alumni.

If you haven't reserved your space at this amazing event yet, register today at http://www.conference.ssdp.org

In the video above, Rep. Polis speaks out against legislation that would further escalate the failed war on marijuana and explicitly calls for regulating and taxing marijuana from the well of the House floor.

Anti-Drug War Graffiti in Mexico City

2011-03-08T17:16:00.007-05:00

"Calderonismo" -- In reference to Mexico's President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa

These stencilled graffiti appeared on a corner I pass to go to work, Cuauhtemoc and Morelos in the Delegacion Coyoacan. It's a well-traveled corner, in between a vibrant market and a main thoroughfare. A school sits a couple of blocks away. Coyoacan is one of the oldest, most established, and wealthy places in Mexico City. It's a favorite place for a Sunday afternoon stroll. The ice creams are delicious.

The stencil on the left, with a person pointing a gun at somebody's head, with the word, Calderonismo, underneath it, suggests that the President has not offered the country anything but violence. Whether that's true or not is obviously up for debate. But Mexico is certainly beset with little but a concern for violence, much of it from the drug war, and for which some people obviously blame President Calderon.

"Ni uno mas -- Crucifix -- Ni uno mas." (Not one more.)

Since 2006, when President Felipe Calderon entered office in Mexico, 35,000 people have died. And an unkown number have disappeared without trace. The cross is a symbol to commemorate the dead, and the words "Not one more" coupled with the reference to Calderon in the previous graffiti implicitly reject the chilling statisic of 35,000 dead.

UMD SSDP Wins Four Year Campaign

2011-03-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Four years ago, as a sophomore at the University of Maryland (and at the time President of the UMD SSDP chapter), I was elected to the University Senate, the most powerful policy making body on campus, comprised of 90% faculty, and 10% students. In an effort to place myself in a position to influence campus drug policy, I sought and received an appointment to serve on the Student Conduct Committee. There I proposed adopting a Good Samaritan (or medical amnesty) policy that would ensure students would be protected from judicial sanctions if they called 911 for themselves or a friend who needed emergency medical attention due to an alcohol or other drug overdose. I had no idea that this would mark the beginning of a very long, difficult, and complicated saga, culminating in a Senate vote that took place yesterday.

When things began back in 2007, the idea was not exactly welcomed with open arms by the other members of the committee, many administrators were not convinced that implementing such a policy was necessary, and some feared that students would abuse the policy or that it would send a message that drinking/using drugs was acceptable. I was surprised by the level of opposition I faced, and frustrated by the painfully slow process. Even after the student body voted overwhelmingly in favor of adopting the policy, the administration did not take action.

Things were not looking good:
Feb. 14, 2008 Hope for Good Samaritan policy dims

Feb. 20, 2008 Good Samaritan bill takes last gasps

My time as a Senator expired in 2008, by the time I graduated in 2009, Irina Alexander (currently the Chair of our National Board of Directors, who was leading the UMD SSDP chapter at the time) picked up right where I left off when she was elected to the University Senate. She conducted research, continued to build coalitions, met with and kept pressure on administrators to adopt a life saving Good Samaritan policy.

She and other student leaders fought tooth and nail to help pass a watered down version of the proposed policy. The "Promoting Responsible Action in Medical Emergencies" protocol provided protection for alcohol only, and did not clearly nor permanently alleviate student fears that might cause hesitation in potentially life threatening situations. This was a compromise that had to be made in order to move the issue forward, but by no means was it considered an acceptable end solution.

Students continued to encounter obstacle after obstacle:

Apr. 15, 2009 U. Senate Samaritan policy scuttled

May 13, 2010 Good Samaritan will face steep opposition in fall
Sept. 16, 2010 Amnesty protocol unlikely to become policy

But UMD SSDP was not willing to throw in the towel. In September 2010, Crystal Varkalis, Vice President of the chapter was featured in an article titled "Still Fighting" sharing her touching personal story about losing a friend to a drug overdose, which fueled her passion for this issue.

Finally, as seen in the video above, the University Senate passed the medical amnesty policy in a 78-1 vote. Additionally, The Diamondback editorialized in our favor, praising the hard work students exhibited in seeing this through.

While we still have much work to do to extend this policy to apply to all drugs, not only alcohol, yesterday marked an important victory. The people and institutions that provided invaluable time, resources, and support are too numerous to name, but without the help of others, there's no way anyone could have made this happen on their own. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone who played a part in this saga, no matter how small. You all should be proud that you helped to implement a policy that makes student health and safety a #1 priority and that could prevent the indescribable pain experienced by loved ones of students who didn't get the help they needed in time to save their life.

Words can’t even describe how it feels to see my idea come to fruition. I feel honored and humbled to have played a role in this policy change, and feel an incredible sense of pride about the work we all did to turn this dream of reform into reality.

For more info on this long & difficult struggle, visit this page on our site.
To learn about the issue in general and for resources to help you bring change to your campus, visit our Good Samaritan Policies campaign section.

Marijuana: Gateway to the White House

2011-02-24T19:08:00.003-05:00

Indiana's Republican governor, Mitch Daniels, has recently been named a possible contender in the GOP presidential primary. Perhaps realizing that the Oval Office's three most recent occupants were marijuana users, the governor decided that it couldn't hurt to expand on his own bust story from May 1970.

The Daily Princetonian reported in a recent interview with Daniels that, "Officers found enough marijuana in his room to fill two size 12 shoe boxes, reports of the incident say. He and the other inhabitants of the room were also charged with possession of LSD and prescription drugs without a prescription." Of the incident, Daniels says “I had used marijuana and I was fined for that, and that was appropriate."

I applaud Governor Daniels for telling his story, and I'm truly glad his arrest didn't devastate his life as it does with so many others. But I will point out that Daniels was arrested with a relatively significant amount of marijuana. Two large shoeboxes is enough volume that it's hard to conceive of any modern hard-charging prosecutor not seeking an indictment for possession with intent to distribute in such a case. Daniels was also busted about six months prior to President Nixon signing the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (on October 27). If that law had been on books in May 1970, Daniels could have faced an array of charges, including several felonies. And if he had been busted after 1998 when the Higher Education Act's Aid Elimination Penalty took effect, he could have lost any federal financial aid as the result of a drug conviction.

I hope that when Daniels says fining him was an "appropriate" punishment he means that a fine should be the maximum penalty for possessing several pounds of marijuana and LSD. If not, does he believe it's right to punish drug arrestees more harshly than he was treated?

SSDP at the International Students for Liberty Conference 2011

2011-02-22T12:40:00.007-05:00

I was invited to speak at this weekend's 2011 International Students for Liberty Conference in Washington D.C. This was my first experience as a speaker at a conference over 500. I found out fairly early on that nearly every state in the U.S. had registered, and that 25 countries were also registered. I met people from Romania, Australia, UK, Nigeria, and others that I am not currently remembering. The level of intellect of those in attendance was nothing short of stunning.

Students for Liberty is not at all what I thought it was; I figured it would be a bunch of Libertarians spouting off about how terrible government and bureaucracy is, and while there were some people that held these beliefs, this conference struck me as very similar to that of an SSDP conference. The political beliefs ranged from unsure independent to ultra libertarian, and everything in between. While many people debated politics for long periods of time, there tended to be one thing in common with everyone: everyone felt as though our liberties were being infringed upon.

Students for Liberty is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which is what makes it so different from other Libertarian groups. They don't support any specific policies, nor do they support Libertarian groups that are not non-profit. From my perspective, this is what makes SFL so important.

Alexander McCobin and Sloane Frost, two co-founders of Students for Liberty, did nothing but impress me with their level of commitment to the organization they founded. Both were top notch speakers that seem to have mastered the process of organizing and delegating, and in three years successfully turned their organization into the largest student-run, liberty-promoting group in existence.

The Stossel Show was filmed at the conference, where John Stossel made it clear that he had never seen a group of politically minded students similar to SFL in his years in the media. The energy in the crowd was nothing short of electric as students from around the world lined up to ask questions during the taping. Gary Johnson spoke about his perspective of politics which blew everyone away (apparently he vetoed more bills than anyone else in the country when he was in office). While he probably will not be President of the United States anytime soon, he is still running in 2012, which continues to garner more and more media attention.

In a nutshell, and in my opinion, Students for Liberty is the future of politics. There is not another group of such incredibly intelligent students in existence, and there is absolutely no way to stigmatize the organization. SSDP and SFL will continue to foster a collaborative relationship so that we can work together to help end the failed War on Drugs and advance the ideals of Liberty across the world.

Thanks to all those that took the time to get to know me; it was an honor for me to have the opportunity to share my story. I sincerely hope that it encourages more chapters of SSDP to start up, and more people to get involved in their local chapters. Only time can tell what will happen, but if anyone from Students for Liberty has any questions about SSDP or wants to get one started, I'd be happy to help where I can. My co-presenter, Stacia Cosner, is the Associate Director of SSDP and it is her job to help students start chapters. Her e-mail address is stacia@ssdp.org. Check out the slides from our presentation on "Drug Policy Activism" here.

Staggering Cases of Injustice Resulting from the Drug War

2011-02-20T23:59:00.003-05:00

The drug war continues to wreak havoc on the lives of U.S. citizens. It continues to wreak havoc on the lives of non-U.S. citizens, too. But we just heard of this case of an Oklahoma woman being sent to prison for a decade for dealing marijuana in front of her children; the grandmother has received a non-custodial sentence, but still has to submit to regular drug testing. You can read just how bloody-minded and unforgiving the prosecutors in the case were. The article doesn't even explain how non-existent or awful the defense team was, even though there are clear problems for the women the moment they were arrested.

The case is from Taft, OK, and the full story may be found here.

There are different dynamics in other cases of unjust imprisonment, but should you want examples which would embolden your understanding of systematic injustice, appraise yourself of the story of Tulia, Texas. And when you finish with Tulia, take a look at Hearne, TX. And when you are done with those stories, why not take a look at LA's Ramparts Division and the crisis that unit endured regarding corruption charges. And even if that doesn't explain to you how wrong this situation is, just look up Gary Webb on Wikipedia and have a look at his "Dark Alliance" series. If you don't know about Webb, then you really don't understand the fatal dynamics of anti-drug war commentary and fact finding. You don't understand how the drug wars systematize oppression.

And if you want to thank anything or anybody for this situation, then why not ask the architects, proponents, and sustainers of the drug wars -- for instance, the presidents in the Americas who coyly suggest a debate on drug legalization, but then back away from that debate -- as to how and why they can put their fellow citizens and human beings through such misery? And at such cost to the public purse.

In any event, one woman in Oklahoma just began a decade-long custodial sentence for less than $50.00 of pot. If this were Denmark, and I were Shakespeare, I would be screaming that this state is rotten. And it may be rotten to the core...

Dismantling the Drug War, Bit By Bit

2011-02-16T14:19:00.002-05:00

The U.S. House of Representatives just voted to eliminate $34 million in funding for the National Drug Intelligence Center for fiscal year 2011 (on a 262-169 vote). While this news could seem mundane on its face, it's a huge development. This demonstrates that conservatives in Congress will finally put their money where their rhetoric has been for a long time. Drug policy reformers should be encouraged that there are indeed hidden supporters in Congress. Now we need to educate them, spreading the message that the drug war represents the most dramatic expansion of the size and scope of the federal government in the history of this country.

Drugs and Peru's Presidential Politics

2011-02-15T17:35:00.009-05:00

It's a trend blowing through electoral politics and drug policy around the Americas. Last year, Mexico's Felipe Calderon mentioned having a debate about legalizing drugs; last month, U.S. President Barack Obama told a YouTube audience that the debate needs to take place; Colombia's President Santos has joined this chorus, now for a second time; in late January Bolivia sought and failed to achieve an exception to Coca-leaf chewing via a UN treaty; and, lately debates about drug policy have entered Peruvian political life.

Watchers of the wind of global drug policy will want to follow Peru's upcoming presidential race, scheduled for April 10, 2011. Drug policies have taken something of a center stage in the Western Andean nation, of late, in part because of former (2001 - 2006) President Alejandro Toledo's current campaign to return to the presidency on a ticket which espouses socially progressive policies: drugs, abortion, gay rights. Our friends over at the Drug War Chronicle provide an excellent overview of what different presidential candidates have said or done over the issue, and whether or not the debate is actually meaningful since Peru has already decriminalized small amounts of marijuana and cocaine.

Peru's importance as a drug producer is well known, and the proximity to the wealth of cocaine affects all parts of life. Even Toledo has suggested that Peru must not become a "narco-state." Whether the country manages to offer a different approach to the "war-on-drugs" may depend on the outcome of April's election.

Gray's Anatomy: Guns and their Sources in the Mexican Drug War

2011-02-14T17:28:00.010-05:00

Trying to figure out where the drug trafficking organizations in Mexico obtain their arms is a major task. It is widely accepted that notwithstanding some of the strictest gun purchasing laws in the Western Hemisphere, the country is awash with firepower. Making their presence felt are guns, grenades, and other materiel, many of which have helped to kill about 36,000 people since 2006 in a brutal and widening drug war.

Politics also bedevil the attempt to classify guns seized during Mexican military and justice operations, and compromise methods used to ascertain Mexico's gun market. In the United States, the right refuses to accept the Department of Justice and Department of State's calculation that ninety percent of guns in Mexico come from US sources, calling it a "myth". Senator Charles Grassley has also alleged that the DOJ's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms division was involved in smuggling arms from the United States, arms which may have killed a Border Patrol Agent in December 2010. New Wikileaks' cables employed by the left suggest the fruitfulness of investigating questions about how US military materiel has made it to Mexico.

Some analysts have pointed out that that the US and its decommissioned military armaments are not the largest part of Mexico's secretive gun market. Firepower is finding its way from China, and in a number of cases old arms arrive from Central and South America. These analysts suggest that the DOJ and State ignore these sources as a way to criticize the sources by which guns arrive in Mexico from the United States. In one investigation, one Houston-area gun shop has had 115 guns sold through its store, all of which ended up being used in crimes in Mexico.

But the US cases are some of the best documented, notwithstanding a 2003 US law that shields the identities of gun dealers whose guns are used in crimes in Mexico. In December 2010 the Washington Post wrote a lengthy article which featured Houston, TX as it is the gun-buying capital for Mexico. Houston is preferred, one long-time ATF agent told the Washington Post reporters, because "you can go to a different gun store for a month and never hit the same gun store." About four or five years ago, ATF initiated Project Gunrunner to interdict and document gun sources. Many of the statistics used in this State briefing document about Gunrunner have been questioned by the right.

Another things is certain: drug traffickers use these arms to defend and protect their hold over an illegal drug market, defending it from rival traffickers or Mexico's authorities. The other thing that is certain is that guns and drugs are intimately linked in the mindset of US law enforcement: the Southwest Border Initiative focuses on shipment of guns and traffic of drugs.

SSDP goes to the United Nations, Seeks Consultative Status

2011-02-10T12:01:00.006-05:00

UNHQ, New York -- A two-person delegation from SSDP International traveled to New York from Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. International Liaison Patrick Timmons and International Outreach Daniel Pacheco went to lobby for and present the organization's application for consultative status before the Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) committee on non-governmental organizations. This nineteen delegate committee approves or defers NGOs' applications. Consultative status would allow SSDP to send delegates to all appropriate committees and meetings of the ECOSOC.

As a registered non-governmental organization with operations in several of the world's regions, SSDP applied for consultative status in 2007. Since then SSDP national staff have responded to further lines of questioning in writing by the committee, thereby keeping our application alive in the paperless correspondence system. In late 2010, to try to understand why the application had been deferred, SSDP's executive director Aaron Houston decided to send a delegation upon invitation by the committee. The committee met from 31 January to 9 February in United Nations Headquarters.

SSDP International's gaining of consultative status would boost the international drug policy reform movement's profile. Few regulationists appear on the roster for special consultative status. Transform, an organization with strong ties to SSDP, gained consultative status in 2007. And, if this author is not mistaken, Transform has allowed SSDP to appear on its credentials in meetings of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Other drug groups will soon be on the roster, though they come from a different perspective. Drug Prevention Network Canada, an abstentionist group, was put forward for approval to ECOSOC for consultative status in this first regular session of 2011. No delegation asked questions of the DPNC. When no questions are asked, applications go forward as it signals the committee has reached consensus.

The committee hears applications according to lists developed through the criteria of 1996/31/E / Consultative Relationship between the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations. The list the committee hears the NGOs' applications proceeds with new applications from Global South countries, followed by new applications from Global North countries. The committee then hears deferred applications from the South, followed by the North. SSDP appeared in this final category.

The committee tended to approve most cases for consultative status. But some disputatious issues led to procedural stalling and exaggerated lines of questioning about human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, which has not had its official quadrennial report recognized by the committee for the past five years. Tensions simmered as high drama erupted in the hall when the committee considered two international lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations for status. Several countries managed to block approval of the Australian Lesbian Medical Association and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex Association despite protestations from Belgium, Bulgaria, Israel, and the United States. Global South countries make up the majority of the committee's nineteen members. In a July 2010 case for a gay rights organization, the smaller bloc tends to bypass this committee, sending the organization's application for review by ECOSOC where fifty-four member states divide more equitably among the world's regions and can overrule the lower NGO committee.

SSDP International will not be forwarded to ECOSOC's approval for consultative status this session. SSDP's application was deferred pending a response to questions offered by the Delegate of Pakistan. This delegate suggested we stress SSDP's unique features: youth participation, public health, and democratic decision-making, rather than articulations of drug user's rights. He reminded us of the Bolivian coca controversy, suggesting that at this level, SSDP might not want to raise its political voice over other issues, many of which dovetail with such UN millennium development goals as: sustaining universal education, combating HIV/AIDS, creating a global partnership, and a commitment to environmental sustainability.

The UN Committee on NGOs meets again in from 16 - 24 May in New York. SSDP's application for consultative status will be reconsidered at that session.

The 54th Session of the UN Committee on Narcotics Drugs meets next month in Vienna, Austria from 21 - 25 March 2011.

REPUBLISHED VERSION, EXPANDS SECTION ON COMMITTEE'S PROCEDURE AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES, ADDS SEVERAL HYPERLINKS.

Chapter Leader of the Week: Stefan Reed, NVCC

2011-02-07T11:37:00.008-05:00

Basics:

Name: Stefan Reed
School: Northern Virginia Community College
Studying: Art Education with a minor in Non-profit Management
SSDP NOVA, Chapter President

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?
Stefan: Fall '09 after seeing a flyer on a TV at school.

SSDP: What has been your favorite SSDP experience ?
Stefan: Going to my first SSDP National Conference in San Francisco last year. The level of camaraderie amount the SSDP members from all over the world was amazing! Also, it was great to see how far California has come to reform drug laws in their state.

SSDP: What issues are most important for your chapter?
Stefan: We work the hardest on marijuana legalization as well as educating the public about drug use with a "safe sex" approach, vs. "abstinence only" approach. We also like to have a great time while we work toward reform. We play hard, and work harder.

SSDP: Do you have any events planned for the this semester?
Stefan:

FILM 10 Rules for Dealing With Police – Tues, Jan 25
FILM DMT: The Spirit Molecule – Tues, Feb 8
LIVE Open Mic Night – Thurs, Feb 24
EDUCATE St. Patricks Day Alcohol Harm Awareness Day March 16th
FUN Tie-Dye Day – Tues, March 29
FUN Kickball Tournament – Sat, Apr 9th
SPEAKER ML Mathre Patients Out of Time – Tues, Apr 12
EDUCATE 4/20 Info Day and Baked Sale – Wed, Apr 20
FUN Non-Denominational Egg Hunt – Mon, Apr 25
EDUCATE Cinco de Mayo Day of Remembrance – Thurs, May 5

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?
Stefan: I love that my chapter has turned into a group of friends. We don't do much the ISN'T SSDP related. When we have something to go to, where wear our SSDPness proudly!

SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Stefan: Be friends! hang out with your chapter members regularly! The more you hang out, the more SSDP stuff gets done. Also, people like star charts...yeah...1st grade style!

SSDP: What's your favorite "SSDP quote"?
Stefan: I love how Stacia Cosner's constant repetition of "Remember...don't consent to searches" has become a farewell statement among SSDPers.

SSDP: Any fun facts about you?
Stefan: Drug policy, political activism, stencil art, drawing, graphic design, skiing, hiking, playing softball (I play for The One Hitters), hosting vintage video game parties and massive dance parties. Honestly educating the public, woodworking, photo/videography, making SSDP known by EVERYONE! Stefan spent 8 1/2 years in Germany, while attending Middle school, High school and his first year of College.

LEAP Debates Medical Marijuana on USAToday

2011-02-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

After getting President Obama to answer a tough question on the legalization of drugs, McKenzie Allen of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition debates Coalition for a Drug Free California's founder, Dr. Paul Chabot on the issue of medical marijuana in California.

North Dakota Bill Aims to Ban Alcohol at College Sporting Events

2011-02-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

President Obama enjoys a beer at a basketball game
next to a child. A new proposal would ban alcohol at ND
college sporting events where minors are present.

Representative Chuck Damschen (R-ND) has introduced a bill that would ban drinking or possessing alcohol at college sporting events if anyone under the age of 18 is attending the game. If adopted, the bill would prohibit alcohol in stadiums and tailgate parties, even if they took place across the street.

"I thought this is a chance for everybody who says that they care about this problem to get on board and support a step in at least getting the discussion going," said Damschen of his bill.

But Damschen's effort to ban booze at sporting events is opposed by many, including the general manager of the Ralph Engelstad Arena, home to University of North Dakota hockey games. Others say it's unnecessary all together because some schools, like North Dakota State University, do not serve alcohol in its arenas.

What do you think SSDP?

Chapter Leader of the Week: Sam Chapman, University of Oregon - Eugene

2011-02-03T01:35:00.000-05:00

Sam is holding the SSDP banner and looking sharp in a suit

Sam Chapman has been involved with SSDP at the University of Oregon - Eugene since 2009. He's helped to organize many successful events and led student organizing during Oregon's Measure 74 campaign last fall. I asked Sam a few questions about his involvement in SSDP and here's what he had to say:

What was your experience working on the Measure 74 campaign like?

I worked on the measure 74 campaign as the college outreach coordinator to rally student
support for bringing medical marijuana dispensaries to Oregon. The challenge was convincing students that medical marijuana was relevant to them. We decided that the most effective way to get students to vote was to convey the fact that Oregon needed to prove it could regulate medical marijuana dispensaries before any marijuana legalization could be taken seriously.

What issues are important for your chapter?

Currently our chapter is working on preventing our Department of Public Safety officers from gaining the same rights as a police force, which means they would be able to carry guns and tasers on campus. About 80% of all the DPS encounters with students are drug and alcohol related, so when deadly force comes into the conversation, we want to represent student concerns.

Do you have any events planned for this semester?

We are in the process of building a coalition with other student organizations in opposition to the idea of an armed police force on campus. Within the next week we will be kicking off a signature drive to show the administration that a overwhelming majority of UO students and faculty do not want guns on campus.

What do you like best about being part of SSDP?

The best part about being involved with SSDP is the challenge it presents in debating sometimes taboo ideas that no one else is willing to take up.

Any fun facts about Sam Chapman?

I am currently working with a group called M-Scale that helps clarify, classify and communicate the medicinal affects of marijuana. This summer I will be traveling to Thailand with the M-Research team to work on the Thai Medical Marijuana Studio Production and Cultivation Project in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?

Attend the SSDP National Lobby day conference on March 17th in Washington D.C.! Last years conference in San Francisco was the first conference I attended. It literally changed my life and my outlook on the work we are all doing to end the war on drugs.

Cannabis in the Commonwealth

2011-02-01T04:08:00.005-05:00

Like many states, Virginia arrests more people for marijuana than all other illicit drugs combined. In fact, almost 20,000 people were arrested in 2008 alone. Recently, members of Virginia Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapters collaborated with drug policy reformers across the state to organize a statewide lobbying day in support of marijuana decriminalization. If passed, VA HB 1443 would have decriminalized simple possession of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor to a $500 civil fine. With help from Marijuana Policy Project, Virginians Against Drug Violence, and Virginia NORML, VA SSDPers were able to gather widespread constituent support through a collaborative grassroots campaign.

On January 17th, SSDP at VCU and SSDP at NoVA convened chapter members to meet with their state delegates, lobbying in favor of marijuana decriminalization. SSDP’s delegation then met with several delegates who comprised the referring committee, those of House Courts and Justice. Following the lobbying, drug policy reformers packed the hearing and awaited the outcome of the bill. Del. Harvey Morgan (VA-R), the bill’s chief sponsor, said that he was not advocating marijuana use “at all,” but rather that if a person is arrested -“even if it’s set aside” by the first offender law in Virginia - the arrest and possible conviction are “always on your record as an arrest for a drug offense.” Because of this, he said, “anyone who has that on a record finds that it is an absolute barrier to employment for a commercial driver’s license, to work in a health care profession, and to be a teacher.” This is especially damaging in fields that require the use of background information for security purposes. Morgan stated, “they do a background check and up pops a drug offense and they just cannot hire you.”

After his comments about the legislation, Morgan presented three witnesses to testify in its support, including Richard Kennedy, PhD., a retired CIA analyst. The hearing continued with more than a dozen members of the public uniformly testifying in favor of the bill in front of the House committee. This group included two members of SSDP at Virginia Commonwealth University, Brooke Napier and Devon Tackels, and one member from SSDP Northern Virginia Community College, Mike Cavender. Nobody spoke out against the legislation, and Del. Morgan made note that he had overwhelming support from constituents.

Despite the harm of marijuana prohibition to the Commonwealth of Virginia, and potential benefits of decriminalization, committee leaders were not open to changing the current policy. Committee members seemed out of touch with constituents and afraid to publicly support the legislation. In the end, the committee chose to PBI, or pass the bill indefinitely for the session. Although we are disappointed with the outcome, we understand that marijuana reform does not happen overnight. Virginia drug policy reformers must continue to engage in state’s delegates education, and advise them of the crucial nature of this legislation for the future of our state. However, despite our loss this round, VA SSDP reaffirms its power to reform marijuana policies in the Commonwealth. We will not stop until we meet this objective, and at this juncture in our movement we require more students to lobby all state delegates, in Virginia and other states where marijuana reform looks likely.

Press Release: SSDP responds to Obama's statement on drug legalization

2011-01-31T18:19:00.006-05:00

For immediate release: January 31, 2011
Contact: Washington DC Headquarters (202)293-4414, San Francisco Headquarters (415)875-9463

Student Activists Praise Obama’s New Position Welcoming Legalization Debate
Statement in YouTube online town hall meeting called step in right direction, but still not enough

Washington, D.C. — Officials at Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) today praised President Barack Obama’s statement last week indicating that drug prohibition is “an entirely legitimate topic for debate.” Obama’s comments came Thursday in response to a question from former Seattle narcotics detective Mackenzie Allen, whose question about repealing drug prohibition received the most votes in an online competition hosted by YouTube.

Responding to Allen’s question about regulating and taxing drugs to cut down on black market profits, President Obama said, “I think this is an entirely legitimate topic for debate…I am a strong believer that we have to think more about drugs as a public health problem.” Obama continued, “On drugs I think that a lot of times we’ve been so focused on arrests, incarceration, interdiction, that we don’t spend as much time thinking about how do we shrink demand. This is something that within the White House we are looking at very carefully…look[ing] at what we’re doing when we have nonviolent first-time drug offenders. Are there ways that we can steer them to the straight and narrow without automatically resorting to incarceration?”

Drug policy reform advocates highlighted the stark contrast between Obama’s recent comments and his laughing dismissal of marijuana legalization the last time drug policy came up at an online town hall event.

“This marks a historic turning point in the White House’s rhetoric about taxing and regulating drugs,” said Aaron Houston, executive director of SSDP. “Despite his rejection of legalization, President Obama acknowledged that our current policies don’t work. We’re very glad to see him start to lead the way on this issue.”

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who educate their peers, parents, and policymakers about how the drug war has failed our generation and our society. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive drug war policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.
###

Volunteer for an SSDP AMPLIFY show!

2011-01-27T17:59:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody,

A new year is upon us and hopefully all your chapters are starting to rock. With the new year comes lots of awesome opportunities to help spread the word about SSDP, and one of those ways is the AMPLIFY Project!

In case you’re unfamiliar, AMPLIFY is a project between SSDP and a select group of nationally touring bands. When those bands come through your town, SSDP chapters have the chance to help promote the show on your campus and in your city. And in exchange for promoting the show, the bands will place two lucky chapter members on the guest list of that show and usually provide a table for you to promote SSDP! What could be better than ending the drug war while groovin’ to some awesome tunes?

I know, all this just has you salivating with excitement, and you want to know how you can help.

Head over to ssdp.org/amplify and volunteer for a show. Slightly Stoopid, Lotus, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and a few more bands have shows across the nation over the next few months, and are kind enough to let us help out. They care about our movement and are helping fight bad drug policy with us!

If you have any questions, just shoot me an email at amplify@ssdp.org. I’m more than happy to help you guys start rocking this, so let’s do it!

SSDP's Training Conference and Lobby Day Schedule is Up!

2011-01-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

We're excited to announce SSDP's 2011 Training Conference and Lobby Day tentative schedule! You can view the full agenda below and speakers and panelists will be announced shortly - so sign up for SSDP's email updates to stay tuned.

As you can see, we have some exciting workshops planned for the weekend and our staff is incredibly excited to see all of our chapters convene in the Washington, D.C. area.

If you haven't registered for the conference yet, be sure to do so soon. Registration costs will go up after March 1, 2011.

Meet the leaders of our 3 newest chapters

2011-01-26T15:49:00.016-05:00

Announcing the latest additions to SSDP's chapter network; we're proud to add the following three new chapters to the map!

Daytona State College - Daytona Beach, FL (Southern Region)
When Patrick Moo called our office for the first time at the beginning of December, he was already ahead of the game. He was already in the process of starting a chapter at Daytona, had recruited several interested students and had gained the support of a faculty member! The chapter has already begun collecting petitions to get medical marijuana on the Florida ballot in 2012.
Rowan University - Glassboro, NJ (Northeast Region)
Phil Simmons discovered us when he was calling California voters to support Proposition 19 using Just Say Now's phonebank tool, and decided to establish a chapter at Rowan. In an effort to begin building coalitions on campus, he has reached out to several other school clubs who are willing to give the chapter a few minutes to speak about SSDP at the beginning of their meetings. Now that they've gained official recognition this week, Rowan SSDP has hit the ground running and have several events and campaigns lined up for the semester.
Radford University - Radford, VA (Mid-Atlantic Region)
Dave Campanella informally stumbled across an SSDP chapter about a year ago at West Virginia University where he was an undergraduate. Last fall he begun his time at Radford pursuing a masters degree in criminal justice, and is writing his thesis on drug policy issues. Andrew Fernandez heard about SSDP from his brother who currently leads our George Mason University chapter! As a former RA on campus, he knows that Radford is one of those "call the cops when you smell the tinest amount of marijuana" type of schools, so the chapter will be bringing attention to the issue.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is active across the United States with official chapters at over 150 high schools, colleges, universities, graduate & law schools. Visit our website to join or start one at your school today, and to access our activist resources including our comprehensive Student Organizing Manual.

NJ: Watch your step, Governor...

2011-01-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

With Gov. Chris Christie’s approval ratings teetering, and talk of a potential presidential run in 2012, one would think the last thing he would want to do is exacerbate any issue that polls well with his constituency. But when it comes to the overwhelmingly popular topic of medical marijuana, Gov. Christie has yet to see the forest full of trees.

With 81 percent of Americans now in favor of medical marijuana, Christie finds himself fighting an uphill battle against common sense and compassion. And state legislators find themselves at an impasse with the program, thanks in part to the governor and his desire to make the program overly restrictive. New Jersey’s medical marijuana law is currently the most restrictive in the nation, and a year behind schedule.

Gov. Christie has created a stalemate that is angering advocates, politicians and patients alike. And with 2012 right around the corner, maybe now is not such a great time to blatantly ignore your supporters and press on with a personal agenda based on failed, prohibitionist policies.

Chapter Leader of the Week: Rob Pfountz, University of Arkansas

2011-01-24T11:41:00.010-05:00

Basics:

Robert Pfountz
SSDP State Coordinator for Arkansas
Former President, University of Arkansas SSDP
Major: Political Science Minor: Economics

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?
Rob: The first SSDP event that I attended was to see Norm Stamper of LEAP speak on-campus at the University of Arkansas in 2008. I had always supported marijuana policy reform, but this event was the first time I realized that we also needed the same reform towards a regulated market with dangerous drugs like methamphetamine that have had a pernicious effect on our families and friends here in Arkansas.

SSDP: What has been your favorite SSDP experience?
Rob: My favorite SSDP experience was attending the Drug Policy Alliance conference in Albuquerque, NM in 2009 as a representative for our SSDP chapter at the U of A. I have never been around so many well respected and intelligent individuals from all around the world who share a common goal of reforming our failed drug policies. If you haven’t attended this unparalleled event I suggest for you to go to the one this November in Los Angeles, CA (reformconference.org).

SSDP: What issues are most important for your chapter?
Rob: With a stable economy and only a population of close to 80,000 our city of Fayetteville does not typically encounter some the drug problems frequently seen in the larger neighboring cities of Little Rock, Tulsa, and Kansas City. This has lead us to focus our attention on marijuana since it is the most widely used illicit substance in our area, and because it is the most politically feasible to accomplish significant progress towards reducing the harm caused by its prohibition. We have made inroads towards this goal by making marijuana the lowest law enforcement and prosecutorial priority in Fayetteville by initiative in 2008 with 66% of the vote, and by passing a SAFER initiative in 2009 with 67% of the student vote to equalize the penalties for alcohol and marijuana on our campus.
 
SSDP: Do you have any events planned for this semester?
Rob: In February we are having US Marine Corps Veteran Glenn Kunkel come speak about the medical applications that cannabis has for soldiers returning home with physical and mental ailments such as PTSD. Events like this one that was set up by our current president Stephen Duke will go a long way towards helping us attain safe access for medical marijuana here in Arkansas. We will also be attending SSDP’s 2011 Training Conference & Lobby Day at the University of Maryland!!!

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?
Rob: There are few other student organizations that gather such a diverse background of individuals towards a common goal. Where you were once rejected you will find acceptance here at SSDP.

SSDP: What's your favorite "SSDP quote"?
Rob: I don't necessarily have a favorite SSDP quote, but the most memorable one was stopping the chant "Smoke Weed Everyday" that was started by a former chapter president in front of our student union. You have to remember that people will only take us as serious as we present ourselves.

SSDP: Any fun facts about you?
 Rob: I am originally from Memphis, TN, but I have also lived in Dallas, TX and Toronto, ON Canada. In my spare time I enjoy reading, playing guitar, and skateboarding. During my time as a teenager roaming the downtown streets of Toronto I made it into Thrasher skateboarding magazine in 1998. My reading usually gravitates towards US drug, foreign, and monetary policy that promotes individual and economic liberty. I am a non-traditional student, and before I returned to school I worked for the federal government for 4 years as a USPS Rural Carrier Associate. I was recently awarded SAFER’s 2010 Outstanding Student Activism Award, and helped lead our chapter to a number 8 ranking by SSDP for the top 20 schools for drug policy activism in 2010. Last semester I helped Jason Malonson establish our second Arkansas SSDP chapter at NWACC in Bentonville where Wal-Mart’s headquarters are located. Currently, I am working on a medical marijuana initiative to place on the Arkansas 2012 ballot.

SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Rob: As a chapter leader you have to remember it is you that has to push the group forward, and when doing this you will be held to a higher standard than other student organizations because of the stigma still attached to drugs. It is important to network and provide incentives for member involvement in chapter activities, but if you work hard others will notice and will naturally be attracted towards your determination. Drug policy reform is a lifestyle, and you will find many opportunities to make a difference. The best way to be prepared for this is to be well read on the issues so you can effectively communicate our tragic social condition. There are few no-brainers in politics, but drug policy reform is one of them. Don’t ever be ashamed or afraid of speaking the truth, because our opponents are on the wrong side of history.

Welcoming 2 more new SSDP chapters this week

2011-01-21T13:11:00.015-05:00

With students going back to school, it's certainly been a busy week for student drug policy reform! As administrators get back to work as well, two more SSDP chapters have gained official student group approval from their schools, and now we're excited to welcome Tufts University and Utah State University to our chapter network.

Tufts University Boston, MA (Northeast Region)
Alex Baskin heard about SSDP in the Spring of 2010 through his friends who lead our chapter at Rutgers University New Brunswick and "was blown away" by the work the chapter was doing on a city wide lowest law enforcement priority initiative. He has been working on establishing a chapter of his own at Tufts University ever since. The first order of business for Tufts SSDP will be addressing campus marijuana policies that still sanction students through the judicial system for marijuana possession, which is no longer a crime in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (possession of up to 28 grams of cannabis was decriminalized when Question 2 passed the legislature in 2009).

Utah State University Logan, UT (Mountain Plains Region)
Last September, Adam Black was looking for ways to get involved in drug policy reform when he came across our website. He says that Logan, Utah is a college town experiencing some of the most aggressive drug law enforcement with some of the harshest penalties in the world. USU SSDP is determined to do something about that.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is active across the United States with official chapters at over 150 high schools, colleges, universities, graduate & law schools. We also have chapter networks forming in several countries outside of the U.S. Visit our website to join or start one at your school today, and to access our activist resources including our comprehensive Student Organizing Manual.

Announcing 3 new official SSDP chapters!

2011-01-19T11:52:00.018-05:00

We're proud to announce three newly established SSDP chapters this week, making them the first additions to our chapter network in 2011! As we officially welcome University of Akron, Central Washington University & University of Florida by adding them to the map, we'd also like to take this opportunity to tell you about the students who stepped up to lead the student drug policy reform movement at their school by founding an SSDP chapter.

University of Akron - Akron, OH (Midwest Region)
Anthony Burrows has been working to establish an SSDP chapter at U of A for almost exactly a year! In January 2010, he came across our website while searching for organizations whose missions are focused on ending the war on drugs. He was faced with obstacle after obstacle in his quest to establish an active SSDP chapter at U of A, navigating through administrative red tape for much of the Fall 2010 semester, but he wasn't going to let a little bureaucracy stop him. Finally, last week, Anthony received word from his school administration that his student organization recognition request has been approved!

Central Washington University - Ellensburg, WA (Western Region)
Brian Grimmer discovered SSDP in October of last year while researching medical marijuana policies for Washington state college campuses. Now that the CWU SSDP chapter is up and running, he hopes to establish a campus medical marijuana policy that would provide protection for students who are medical cannabis patients.

University of Florida - Gainesville, FL (Southern Region)
Chase Corbin got connected to us in November when he was looking for drug policy internship opportunities, he noticed SSDP was mentioned on the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) websites and decided to check us out. Chase hopes to make an impact on campus with his chapter by facilitating professional and evidence based discussions about drug policy. Currently a University Scholar at UF majoring in philosophy & economics, he hopes to attend law school then pursue a career in drug policy reform after completing his studies as an undergrad.

Chapter Leader of the Week: Trevor Hosterman, West Chester University

2011-01-17T13:08:00.016-05:00

From left: Josh Merer, Trevor Hosterman, Former Gov. Gary Johnson, Zach Hartshorne

Basics:

Name: Trevor Hosterman
Position: Co-founder/President, WCU SSDP
School: West Chester University
Major: Political Science
Location: West Chester, PA

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?
Trevor: I first got involved with SSDP in the fall of 2009 when my cofounder, Josh Merer, and I decided we wanted to make a change on our campus and in our community when it came to drug policy and harm reduction.

SSDP: What has been your favorite SSDP experience?
Trevor: My whole experience with SSDP has been remarkable. From conferences to camping trips, everything has been amazing. One of my favorite experience as a chapter was when we had the opportunity to host the former Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson.

SSDP: What issues are most important for your chapter?
Trevor: Right now one of the biggest issues we're looking into as a chapter is how to get our school to adopt a medical amnesty policy. They told us they won't do anything until the state does something first. So as a chapter we want to make sure our state representatives reintroduce SB 488 this year. SB 488 called for state wide medical amnesty in cases of alcohol poisoning.

SSDP: Do you have any events planned for the this semester?
Trevor: We sure do! We're kicking off the semester with a show at a local venue with Roots of Creation headlining on February 5. In the works we have a lobby day at the capital, a camping trip and we have a couple more things in the works.

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?
Trevor: The wonderful, passionate friends I have met along the way.

SSDP: Any fun facts about you?
Trevor: I love concerts. I think I went to about sixty or so in 2010. You might also say I'm a fan of the great outdoors.

SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Trevor: Keep going what you're doing. Positive thought yields positive action.

Connect with the West Chester University SSDP chapter on Facebook & Twitter.

Marijuana Prohibition to Blame in Shooting Death of UMD Student

2011-01-14T15:31:00.010-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2011
CONTACT: Stacia Cosner, SSDP National Associate Director – (410) 299-3433
Lauren Mendelsohn, UMD SSDP (202) 596-7737

Marijuana Prohibition to Blame in Shooting Death of University of Maryland Student
UMD student group says legalization will end drug war violence

College Park, MD. – Officials at Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) charged today that the murder of UMD student Justin DeSha-Overcash on Tuesday is a result of marijuana prohibition policies that actually put young people in more danger than a system of legalization and regulation. DeSha-Overcash, 22 years-old, had a bright future ahead and was slated to graduate in June with a degree in physics and astronomy.

“This isn’t simply a drug related crime as the media is calling it,” explained Stacia Cosner, Associate Director at SSDP. “This is drug-prohibition related violence. We don’t see students shooting one another over alcohol, because it’s legal and there are no black market profits worth protecting.”

SSDP is joining DeSha-Overcash’s friends and family in criticizing Prince George's County Police for placing the blame on the victim, labeling him as a drug dealer simply because marijuana was found at the home.

"As Justin’s friends and family mourn their loss, SSDP members extend their support by emphasizing a positive and fair characterization of his life," said Cosner. "On top of his ambitious schoolwork, he also worked as a teaching assistant and at the campus observatory. He was not simply a drug dealer whose death could somehow be justified by the presence of marijuana in his home as police have suggested."

Lauren Mendelsohn, a member of the UMD chapter of SSDP, expressed her concern about law enforcement’s stated priorities in response to the murder. "A young man lost his life, tragically and with the killer still on the loose. The College Park community is seeking support and assurance that the killer will be brought to justice, but the Prince George's County Police blaming the victim is incredibly concerning. It raises serious questions about their priorities.”

“Police need to start looking at the policies surrounding drugs and evaluating the unintended consequences of prohibition. If marijuana were regulated in a similar way to alcohol, perhaps Justin would still be alive today," says Cosner.

Win Tickets to Slightly Stoopid's Winter Tour!

2011-01-13T14:30:00.006-05:00

Slightly Stoopid is one of the many artists on SSDP's AMPLIFY Project that is bringing SSDP tables to most of their shows on their Spring tour. To help spread the word about the work that SSDP does, the band is offering the chance for anyone who signs up on SSDP's action alert list to win 2 free tickets to these upcoming shows:

DATE	VENUE	CITY	TICKETS	RSVP
FEB. 04, 2011	TPC BIRD'S NEST	SCOTTSDALE, AZ	TICKETS
FEB. 16, 2011	9:30 CLUB	WASHINGTON, DC	TICKETS
FEB. 17, 2011	9:30 CLUB	WASHINGTON, DC	TICKETS
FEB. 18, 2011	LUPO'S ON THE STRAND	PROVIDENCE, RI	TICKETS
FEB. 19, 2011	HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM	NEW YORK, NY	TICKETS
FEB. 20, 2011	HOUSE OF BLUES	ATLANTIC CITY, NJ	TICKETS
FEB. 24, 2011	ORBIT ROOM	GRAND RAPIDS, MI	TICKETS
FEB. 25, 2011	MADISON THEATER	COVINGTON, KY	TICKETS
FEB. 26, 2011	CANNERY BALLROOM	NASHVILLE, TN	TICKETS
FEB. 27, 2011	AMOS' SOUTHEND	CHARLOTTE, NC	TICKETS
MAR. 01, 2011	THE NORVA	NORFOLK, VA	TICKETS
MAR. 02, 2011	THE MUSIC FARM	CHARLESTON, SC	TICKETS
MAR. 03, 2011	JANNUS LIVE	ST. PETERSBURG, FL	TICKETS
MAR. 04, 2011	JANNUS LIVE	ST. PETERSBURG, FL	TICKETS
MAR. 05, 2011	PLUSH	JACKSONVILLE, FL	TICKETS
MAR. 12, 2011	9 MILE MUSIC FESTIVAL	MIAMI, FL	TICKETS
MAY 29, 2011	HOOKAVILLE	THORNVILLE, OH	TICKETS

*Festival tickets are not included in the contest.

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SSDP to Co-Sponsor Series on California's Criminal Justice System at Golden Gate University

2011-01-12T18:06:00.000-05:00

A Critical Eye on Criminal Justice

The students of Golden Gate Law School’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are proud to host a series of panels designed to educate, inform, and reflect on California's criminal justice system. We encourage your attendance to provide insight and speak with others concerning California's criminal justice system. Please see below for more information about each panel:

Week 1: Psychology & Law

Tuesday, January 18 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM

Guest Panelists:

Craig Haney, Professor of Psychology at University of Santa Cruz and expert in effects of incarceration
Sara Norman, Managing attorney of the Prison Law Office
Moderated by Professor Susan Rutberg

Week 2: Foundations of the Criminal Justice System

Wednesday, January 26 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Guest Panelists:

James Bell, Founder and Executive Director of the W. Haywood Burns Institute
Diana Tate Vermeire, Racial Justice Project Director at the ACLU of Northern California
Dorsey Nunn, Executive Director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and co–founder of All of Us or None

Week 3: Life in a California Prison

Tuesday, February 1 5:00 – 6:30 PM

Guest Panelists:

Donald Specter, Director of the Prison Law Office
Jeanne Woodford, Former warden, San Quentin State Prison
Paul Wright, Editor and co-founder of Prison Legal News
Moderated by Professor Mort Cohen

Week 4: Examining Alternative Movements in Prison Reform

Thursday, February 10 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Guest Panelists:

Judge Jeffery Tauber, Judge in Oakland Municipal Court
George Galvis, Educator, consultant, trainer, and speaker in the areas of youth development & organizing, violence prevention, and restorative justice for youth
Cynthia Chandler, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Justice Now

We hope you will join us in this critical discussion of criminal justice in the midst of historical reform. Thank you for your support. For more information visit our Facebook page or contact: John Robinson at johnbrobinson2@gmail.com or Pouria Yazdi at pouriayazdi@gmail.com. All panels will be held at 536 Mission Street, 2nd Floor Room 2203, San Francisco.

Intern with SSDP!

2011-01-11T21:21:00.001-05:00

Join SSDP's National Staff as an Intern! *Warning: you may get pied.

It's the beginning of the Spring semester and many students will need to have internships. Why go the usual route of making copies and fetching coffee when you can intern with SSDP and help change drug policy!

We have some great opportunities available in both our Washington, D.C. and San Francisco offices.

Graphic Design Intern
Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA
Graphic Design Intern / Hourly
Unpaid, with class credit available
Starts: Monday 17, January 2011

Membership Coordination Fellow
Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA
Membership Coordination Fellow / HourlyUnpaid, class credit available
Starts: Monday 17, January 2011

Social Media Intern
Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA
Social Media Intern / Hourly
Unpaid, with class credit available
Starts: Monday 17, January 2011

Web Team Intern
Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA
Web Team Intern / Hourly
Unpaid, with class credit available
Starts: Monday 17, January 2011

Come join the SSDP team for an amazing experience working in drug policy reform. Apply today!

*Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and start times are flexible.

Human Rights and Harm Reduction: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

2011-01-11T16:10:00.008-05:00

YouthRISE and the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) have partnered to produce a document on Human Rights and Harm Reduction from a child's legal perspective. A focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) gives the authors opportunity to discuss what children's rights may be violated when states attempt to protect them from illicit drug use.

The authors identify that Article 33 of the CRC is the only UN human rights treaty to deal with drug use and children. Protection from drugs for children must come with an "appropriate" response by the government. The YouthRISE/IHRA document lays out the text of the article and attempts to parse the meaning of "appropriate." The authors define and delimit the word by making it conform to types of action legally circumscribed by human rights law.

For example, the authors place appropriate within the context of the CRC's article 3, that is a stipulation of what makes the best interests of the child. It then reasons through the ways in which drug policy is often not in the best interests of the child. Or, put differently, that drug policy as currently conducted is often not appropriate to protect the child, or reduce harm.

The document is limited by its length so cannot withstand much criticism. It's a welcome first stab at trying to understand how to use international law, in this case human rights law for children, to fight back against irrational official drug policies, such as the drug war. But the document's authors offer little urgency in their task, a problem constructed by a populist methodology that goes in search of youth issues rather than the zones of conflict where the human rights violations actually occur. Since one of these conflict zones is Mexico, with 31,000 dead in the drug war, news organizations estimate 51,000 orphans, with a large number in Juarez. This is too big a problem to collapse into larger "issues."

And few in the human rights community have yet to define what is appropriate to protect the Mexican drug war orphans from greater harm. Juarez is, after all, the most dangerous city in the world.

Action Required: Sign A Petition to Retain Evidence-based Practices in Hungary's Drug Policy

2011-01-05T11:54:00.004-05:00

The European Union continues to register deep divisions in drug policy. On the one hand there's Portugal, scion of the progressive movement, a country that offers treatment over incarceration for small amounts of possession. And on the other hand there's Hungary, where years of progressive organizing around drug issues may have just evaporated, returning instead to the bete noire of prohibition.

Hungary's anti-prohibitionist drug reformers and harm reductionists need the help of SSDP's members. Why? and How?

The how's the easy part, at least if you have a computer. Just sign this petition composed by non-governmental organizations to the Hungarian government urging them to retain evidence-based drug policy.

The petition is urgent. Just as the Hungarian Government took over the presidency of the European Union in 2011, it decided to engage in some major revisions to a drug policy program convened and produced by its predecessor, which it removed from office in elections held in April 2010. Many of these changes by the new government actually conflict with stated policies of the European Union they are meant to be heading. According to Drug Reporter, the news service of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the current Hungarian Government has turned its back on harm reduction and human rights, perhaps to save money in a tight fiscal year. The government abolished the National Drug Prevention Institute, fired the national drug coordinator, and stripped the drugs budget. It's plaint? That the policy was too focused on "drug liberalization and harm reduction." Or, in no uncertain terms, evidence-based practices needed to go.

The actions against scientific policy have struck a blow against Hungary's drug reformers in non-governmental organizations. The previous government had opened up a broad consultative process for empirical drug policy and practices. It included all the major national and international actors whose opinion was sought on how best to prevent or treat addiction. The consultation process produced an eight year policy document for 2010 - 2018. And even though at one point the current government signaled its intention to keep the policy moving forward, by December 2010 it produced the current crisis by axing the stated policy. In the text of the petition, the NGO's denounce the changes on the basis of the harm they will cause:

We emphasize that the lack of an effectively operating drug strategy with adequate financial resources and professional support undermines prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and harm reduction services – as a consequence harms can be measured not only in money but in human lives

Now, you can take action by signing the petition to keep science in Hungary's drug policy, here.

Wikileaks: Suspending Mexico's Constitution, Costs Appear High

2011-01-03T11:27:00.003-05:00

Recently Wikileaks released a secret cable of 28 October 2009 from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to a variety of U.S. Government departments in Washington. In the cable, a diplomat depicted and described Mexican Defense Secretary Galvan's attempt to convince other U.S. diplomats and his Mexican cabinet colleagues to introduce martial law in Mexico, in places where violence over drug trafficking has taken hold. The document exposes how high level Mexican government officials -- a supportive Defense Minister and lukewarm Interior Minister -- argued over suspending fundamental constitutional guarantees such as freedom of assembly and the press to combat drug trafficking organizations (DTOs).

But the document also reveals a U.S. diplomat hard at work, being realistic about the tactics of Mexico's drug war, and savvy to the country's fraught constitutional history of dealing with public order through constitutional suspensions and public oversight.

And yet even so, the diplomat suggests that while suspending the constitution is a non-starter, there are less controversial ways to expand Mexico's presidential authority over the armed forces during peacetime with a bill currently before Congress.

The diplomat briefed the U.S. government on the Mexican response to the Defense Secretary's desire to suspend certain Constitutional provisions. Defense Minister Galvan lobbied members of the Mexican government, including a reluctant Interior Minister Gomez Mont, for suspension using a multi-pronged argument.

The case the Defense Secretary built rested upon exigent circumstances; these included Juarez's daily murder rate, and the escalating violence amidst the drug trafficking organizations and government forces. The Defense Secretary suggested the urgency of his task in that current supreme court jurisprudence did not cover the military's police function as pacifiers. So, to make a case for constitutional suspension, thereby legitimizing the military's current police work, the Defense Secretary wanted to invoke Article 29 of the Mexican Constitution.

Here's the English text of the Mexican law that allows for suspension of the country's constitutional guarantees. Article 29 of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 reads:

In the event of invasion, serious disturbance of the public peace, or any other event which may place society in great danger or conflict, only the President of the Mexican Republic, with the consent of the Council of Ministers and with the approval of the Federal Congress, and during adjournments of the latter, of the Permanent Committee, may suspend throughout the country or in a determined place the guarantees which present an obstacle to a rapid and ready combatting of the situation; but he must do so for a limited time, by means of general preventive measures without such suspensions being limited to a specified individual.

Interior Minister Gomez Mont, who did not favor suspension, still insisted to U.S. diplomats that it was not martial law "in the way that you know it" and was designed to respond to the increasing violence in the country. The final part of the Constitutional Article placed Congress in charge of continuous review, in or out of session.

One of the remarkable things about the Wikileak cable is the judicious weighing of different forms of evidence employed by the diplomat. The diplomat states that Mexico rarely in the twentieth century suspended the Constititution. Indeed, the diplomat suggested that suspension did not occur during the 1968 student protests, the 1985 earthquake, the EZLN Rebellion in Chiapas, or the 1996 protests in Oaxaca. If these crises did not meet the level of suspension, how could it pass public muster now, he asked? It wouldn't, the diplomat responded. And if it failed it would further limit President Calderon's credibility. International and human rights groups had already offered legitimate critics of the military's policing of certain municipalities, and suspension would, these critics alleged, worsen the human rights record.

But in describing the situation neither is the U.S. diplomat a benign force. In the composition of this classified cable, he did not fail to point out that the Mexican government had better options on the table than suspension of Article 29. If Article 29 was a political gamble, pushing through legislation on national security that expands the president's powers over the military, and to designate them as a tool for law and order in regards intelligence gathering, could be seen as necessary for enforcement. The diplomat is careful to point out the benefits of this approach, but also describes significant hostility to any of Calderon's reforms among high-ranking members of the opposition.

The cable ends with a summing up of the issue: Article 29 would not enrich current strategy. Instead, it should be seen as an attempt by Mexico's defense community to protect themselves from human rights or other litigation. Indeed, in a notable coincidence, Wikileaks released this cable just as the Inter American Court of Human Rights, ruled against the government in Mexico in a case in which military officials investigated military members who had abused civilian environmental activists. The IACHR declared that Mexico must turn over military to civilian authorities in cases of civilian jurisdiction. Even so, the Government's subsequent sending of legislation purporting to effectuate this reform has already been declared stillborn by the major human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch. The rumblings from the Defense Secretary suggest that the Mexican military considers itself in a precarious position.

Happy New Year from SSDP!

2010-12-29T19:04:00.017-05:00

This was an amazing year for Students for Sensible Drug Policy!

We helped bring the issue of marijuana legalization into the national spotlight by launching the Just Say Now campaign, a project with our friends at Firedoglake, that provided important tools like a free online phone banking system for activists around the country to call voters in four states with marijuana reforms on the ballot.

Our chapter network continues to expand throughout the U.S. and with the addition of an international liaison, SSDP is now rapidly expanding outside of the states and into key places like Mexico City. And for the first time, we hosted our international conference on the west coast and with over 500 people, it was our largest conference to date! Now that 2010 is behind us, we're looking forward to 2011.

This is the last chance to give a tax-deductible gift in 2010, so please consider donating today. Our goals in 2011 are ambitious, and we couldn't do what we do without the generous support of people like you.

Happy New Year from SSDP's National Team,
Aaron, Jon, Stacia, Patrick, Garret & Edward

P.S. There's still one day left to get the early-bird discount when you register for our 2011 Training Conference & Lobby Day at the University of Maryland, March 17-19, 2011. More details at conference.ssdp.org

Chapter Leader of the Week: Hilary Dulin, Northeastern University

2010-12-27T14:08:00.006-05:00

Name: Hilary Dulin
Title: Co-founder & President, NU SSDP
School: Northeastern University, Class of 2011
Major: Behavioral Neuroscience

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?
Hilary: I got involved in Fall of 2008 when I met Kevin Franciotti who was working on bringing SSDP to Northeastern. I became involved and helped to found the chapter.

SSDP: What issues are important for your chapter?
Hilary: Enrollment: Keeping things interesting and getting new people not only interested but staying involved

Education: Getting out information about our group through events, and making sure our students know about their rights on campus and off

We also have members working on Good Samaritan Policies in Massachusetts, and plan to lobby for both the Medical Marijuana and Marijuana legalization bills when they are reintroduced in January.

SSDP: Do you have any events planned for the this semester?
Hilary: Yes! We are starting Wire Wednesdays, showing the wire on the off-weeks of our bi-weekly meetings

Panel on Modern Perspectives in Psychedelic Medicine: Rick Doblin, Michael Mithoefer, and John Halpern, are coming to talk about modern research on psychedelics (in humans!) and the social implications of that research on February 8th.

And of course going to the Training Conference in March!

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?
Hilary: That its a real and necessary thing. Not only are we making change with in our campus and greater communities, but as a chapter leader I realized the importance of having someone to talk to who knows the system after getting busted. Good advice and a place to turn to can make a lot of difference!

SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Hilary: Never give up! We had a rough year last year and had only 3 returning members (including myself), now we have 10-15 solid members and have hosted 1 successful event and have two more that we already have funding for.

Ask for help. You will drive your self crazy trying to do and make every decision on your own. Its much better to get people to be involved and love it as much as you do.

Spontaneous Anti-Drug War Student Activism Erupts In Northern Mexico

2010-12-24T15:03:00.004-05:00

This holiday season ABC News reports that students at the Autonomous University of the City of Juarez (UACJ) (in its Spanish acronym) have formed a group to resist the drug war. The students are targeting corruption in the police and military, highlighting human rights abuses as part of their campaign.

One videoed episode of state violence drew the students ire: the late October police shooting of nineteen year old UACJ sociology student, Jose Dario Alvarez. Student marches against the police who shot him at the entrance to the UACJ campus have apparently drawn 200 people in the northern city, and interest from student groups at Mexico City's National Autonomous University (UNAM).

The ABC reporter describes a student movement interested in human rights and social justice. The focus on the latter can be identified by community projects, such as Pistolitas por Libros, or Pistols for Books. The way these students see the intersection of different issues and the drug war, is characteristic of student movements throughout the hemisphere, including Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

The Student Association has not confined its activities to political activism. Members teamed up with medical and dentistry students doing a Health Brigade event and implemented Pistolitas por Libros, the first Pistols for Books campaign. While adults in the neighborhood sought free medical advice from the students, their children could exchange toy guns and weapons for books, games and other, more peaceful, items. The organization said between 120 and 150 participated.

Congressman makes historic speech in marijuana legalization fight

2010-12-23T13:05:00.011-05:00

Believe it or not, two weeks ago marked the first time in history that a member of Congress specifically called for taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol — from the floor of the House of Representatives!

During debate over a terrible pro-drug war resolution that was cynically fast-tracked through the House by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the lone member to rise in opposition was Congressman Jared Polis from Colorado. During his speech, he said "by eliminating the failed policy of prohibition with regard to marijuana and replacing it with regulation, we can cut the money to the criminal gangs by half."

Of course, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) has consistently supported ending drug prohibition over the years, but my searches failed to turn up a specific call for regulating marijuana from the well of the House. Rep. Paul was one of the handful of members who voted against the resolution that Polis opposed. (I welcome any corrections from nerds who are good at searching the Congressional Record if I am wrong about Dr. Paul previously making a similar speech from the House floor.)

Chapter Leader of the Week: Nicholas Davies

2010-12-21T16:11:00.001-05:00

Nick (middle) with fellow Colorado SSDP
members Kara Janowsky and Chris Pezza returning
from the 2010 SSDP Conference in San Francisco.

Name: Nicholas Davies

Chapter: Front Range Community College

Location: Longmont, Colorado

When did you first get involved with SSDP and why do you like being part of the organization?

I was first introduced to SSDP during my second year in Student Government when I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow by the name of Christopher Pezza. After a few legislative sessions Chris and I found that we had similar thoughts on many issues regarding drug policy and the way it should be approached (not to forget a liking for "The Talking Heads").

At the time he was also founding our current chapter at the college and was in need of help getting it going. I agreed one day to attend a meeting and from then on forth have considered myself a drug policy activist. What I like about being part of this organization is that it gives a forum for like minded people to pool their ideas and knowledge to create a positive impact on their local communities.

What issues are important for the Front Range Community College SSDP chapter?

At this point one of our biggest issues at hand is changing the data; It's difficult to be taken seriously as a student's organization with out being able to own up to one's "student responsibilities."

Do you have any events/campaigns planned?

One of our chapter mantras is to always have at least one event planned. We just finished the final week of the semester with an event where we reserved our community room for students looking for a quiet place to study. Along with the quiet study space we were given tea from the Environmental Club to provide students with a nice perk to their day. This event being is a part of our "A's before J's" campaign encouraging students and current SSDP members (and all students) to prioritize their grades before their recreational use of drugs including alcohol.

What has been your favorite experience with SSDP?

Knowing that every action we take gets us closer to a better America. That experience in itself is invaluable.

Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?

Know that in the action of being a student; That role, when completed with pride, will only lead to gains for our goals, and falter those whom criticize our intent.

That and go to new student orientation. Have a table. Something. It is a way to get members hooked at the very get go of the semester. If anything do it just to inform.

Increase in Teen Marijuana Use Due to Failed Policies (Press Release)

2010-12-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 15, 2010

CONTACT: Jonathan Perri, SSDP National Associate Director – (401) 265-9445

Increase in Teen Marijuana Use Due to Failed Policies,  
Not Medical Marijuana
More High School Seniors Now Smoking Marijuana  
than Cigarettes, According to Survey

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Officials at Students for Sensible Drug Policy claim that a new survey by the University of Michigan showing the highest rates of marijuana use among young high school seniors in the last three decades is the direct result of the failed policy of marijuana prohibition. Over 20% of high school seniors reported smoking marijuana compared with only 19% reporting smoking cigarettes.

“Because marijuana is available on the black market, high school students have easier access to it than they do to cigarettes,” explained Jonathan Perri, Associate Director at SSDP. “Drug dealers aren’t going to ask for an ID before they sell drugs. If marijuana were regulated and taxed like alcohol or cigarettes, it would be more difficult for young people to purchase.”

At a press conference in Washington this week, the White House drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, blamed the increase on the debate surrounding marijuana legalization and state medical marijuana laws around the country.

“If the drug use numbers go down even slightly, the ONDCP takes credit for it, but when they go up, they don’t want to reassess their own failed policies. There is no evidence that medical marijuana laws have resulted in a national increase in use among high school seniors - if anything, young people no longer believe the reefer madness that the federal government has been spreading about marijuana for years," said Perri.

The group argues that regulating marijuana like cigarettes would be more effective at reducing use. “Tobacco use has become unattractive to young people through prevention education and by keeping the drug in a legal but regulated market with heavy taxes imposed,” continued Perri. “It’s time to do the same with marijuana.”

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities, but who also know that the War on Drugs is failing our generation and our society. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.

# # #

Chapter Leader of the Week: Drew Stromberg, WVU

2010-12-13T11:54:00.007-05:00

Chapter Leader of the Week

Basics:

Drew Stromberg
Founder and President
West Virginia University SSDP

SSDP: When did you 1st get involved with SSDP?
Drew: I got involved during in the summer of 2009 when a friend of mine told me I should start a chapter at WVU.

SSDP: What issues are important for your chapter?
Drew: Good Samaritan Policy - We started working on ours last year and we are slowly but surely moving ever closer to it becoming a real university policy. (bureaucracy is designed to discourage you. Don’t let it.)

Drug education - We are working with WVU’s Senior Wellness Coordinator to incorporate drug education into the University 101 curriculum. The current program does include alcohol education fortunately. At this point in the process, we’re looking for universities with good drug education programs already in place. Do you have an open, comprehensive, and science-based program at your school? If you do, get in touch with me!

SSDP: Do you have any events planned for the this semester?
Drew: We hope to host an art show fundraiser in February. And of course we wouldn’t miss the National Training Conference in Washington, DC! Mountaineers en mass on the mall in March!

SSDP: What do you like best about being part of SSDP?
Drew: The work that we do is important and the changes we make are real. We’re shaping our world into a more sensible form.

SSDP: Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?
Drew: As part of my technology internship with SSDP this semester, I've been working on our chapter's website, and developing the SSDP Tech Tips group on Facebook, so use these and me as a resource for improving your chapter's online presence.

Also, taking your chapter to a conference is the fastest way to turn regular members into drug policy reform samurai warriors.

NIU SSDP Earns Recognition on Campus, Free Speech Violations Still Present

2010-12-13T02:47:00.002-05:00

After SSDP's chapter at Northern Illinois University was denied recognition as an official group on campus and told that they could not apply for funding, hold meetings on campus or even post flyers promoting events or causes, they took action to protect student free speech. It wasn't an easy battle, but SSDP prevailed and have been given full recognition by NIU.

Northern Illinois University (NIU) has finally given full recognition to NIU Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) after the Student Association Senate twice denied the group any recognition, which had prevented SSDP from meeting or posting flyers on campus. But Senate policy still denies funding to all "political" and "religious" student organizations. This arbitrary standard classifies Christian, Muslim, and Jewish organizations as "religious" and therefore ineligible for funding, while the campus Baha'i Club is funded as a "cultural" group. Similarly, groups such as Model United Nations are considered "political" while many "social justice" or "advocacy" groups—including student pro-life, pro-choice, antiwar, women's rights, vegetarian, and victims' rights groups—are fully recognized. SSDP came to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.

"FIRE commends Northern Illinois University for finally agreeing to recognize Students for Sensible Drug Policy, but NIU's recognition and funding policies still violate students' First Amendment rights," FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. "NIU's rules brazenly flout Supreme Court precedent by discriminating against all ‘political' and ‘religious' groups. NIU needs to reform its policies to ones that do not invite such extensive double standards, confusion, and abuse."

SSDP would like to thank the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and our board member Eric Sterling for the essential assistance and guidance they provided to the NIU SSDP chapter.

We also recognize that the situation at NIU is not over. SSDP was instrumental in drawing attention to the unconstitutional policies being unfairly imposed on student groups by the NIU Student Senate and we hope to see those policies changed immediately so that no student group will be discriminated against based on the nature of what they discuss or promote.

Miley Cyrus and a Bong: Could this be the video that makes salvia illegal?

2010-12-11T16:44:00.001-05:00

Move over Wikileaks. We've got Miley Cyrus with a bong. Tripping on Salvia. On camera.

Seriously folks, this could be a big deal for drug policy.

Miley Cyrus practically is America. She's adored by millions of children and adults alike. Her dad is responsible for making the mullet a temporarily acceptable haircut. And now lil' Miley has to go and break his achy, breaky, heart with another bong rip heard round the world (Michael Phelps was the first).

Why should we care? Because this is the sort of crap that American drug policy is crafted on.

Salvia divinorum is a short acting psychoactive herb. It's a member of the mint family and has been used in shaman ceremonies by the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico for thousands of years. It has already been banned in a number of states but not because its use was causing significant problems. It's mostly because of high school kids tripping balls for about 5 minutes, video taping it and then posting to YouTube. Then all it takes is a tough on drugs politician to see one of those and you've got a campaign to make salvia illegal - as if the kids in these videos we're using the bong as a paperweight when they weren't legally buying salvia to pack it with. We have news for you - the bong's main use is for smoking pot and that's been illegal since 1937 but no one seems to have a hard time finding any to smoke.

Salvia's effects are not typically considered pleasant by most people. It's definitely not a party drug as the experience can be very intense and spiritual as well as very surprising for the first time user. It's sold in pure leaf forms and in extracts at various strengths. It tastes disgusting and is known for being non-toxic and non-additive. But politicians present it as a serious danger to young people everywhere.

Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Virginia have made Salvia totally illegal - some placing it under Schedule I status. Other states like Lousiana, North Carolina, Tennesse and West Virginia have made it "only legal when not intended for human consumption," essentially leaving it as a research chemical or decorative house plant. California (where Miley is during the incident), Maine and Maryland have taken a more sensible approach and placed age restrictions and laws against providing to underage persons. In Wisconsin you can possess it but you can't grow it, give it away or sell it. And there's a few more states that currently have pending legislation to ban Salvia.

Still, the federal government and DEA has yet to succeed in banning Salvia. But here's why Miley Cyrus could be their secret weapon...

It's the Len Bias effect. Len Bias was a University of Maryland basketball star who was picked up by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft. While celebrating his draft to the Celtics just two days after getting the news, he died of a cocaine overdose. The Speaker of the House at the time was Massachussets Congressman, Tip O'Neill. He was from Boston and when he saw how pissed off Celtics fans were about Bias' death, he seized the opportunity to introduce mandatory minimum sentencing through the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. It made Democrats look tough (apparently there once was a time when this was occasionally possible for Democrats). The new laws based sentencing on the weight and type of drug, or the presence of a firearm. It created a 100-1 disparity in the sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine, a disparity that devasted African-American communities and helped to skyrocket America's prison population. It took 24 years to reform that that law with the Fair Sentencing Act which passed this year and didn't do away with the disparity but lowered it to 18:1. It would turn out that Bias didn't even die from crack cocaine, he was using powder.

Here's the thing. Unlike Len Bias, Miley Cyrus doesn't have to die to send parents and lawmakers into a frenzy over salvia. Apparently she doesn't even have to break a single law - what she did was perfectly legal (the real crime was listening to Bush). She just has to appear like she's a normal young adult having fun with her friends and that just maybe, she isn't as cookie cutter perfect as Hollywood makes her seem. This provides politicians with needed support from Americans with love and nostalgia for Hannah Montana.

It's not that the federal government hasn't tried to ban salvia yet. In 2002 the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics successfully stopped Congress from placing salvia in the Controlled Substances Act by arguing that it was inappropriate for scheduling and should be available for research. But politicians didn't have a viral video of a teen pop sensation ripping bongs of a relatively mysterious substance and laughing hysterically in their arsenal then. Almost every lawmaker attempting to outlaw salvia has used YouTube videos of teenagers smoking it as evidence of why it should be prohibited - and there are lots of videos of people smoking this stuff online. Some of them have millions of views. And some show people looking pretty silly.

In 2008 Florida state Rep. Mary Brandenburgh introduced legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Christ making simple possession of salvia a felony that could carry a 5 year prison sentence. The DEA has stated that it could be possible for Savlia users to be prosecuted under the Federal Analogues Act:

"Salvia divinorum, Salvinorin A, and Divinorin A are not listed in the Controlled Substances Act. If sold for human consumption, S. divinorum may be subject to control under the Analogue statutes because of its functional pharmacological similarities to other CI hallucinogens like THC."
-- from DEA Diversion Salvia divinorum Page - Feb 2002

However, the drug resource website Erowid states that the DEA's analysis is flawed as very little is actually known about salvia's pharmacological properties.

So here we have this drug that most people are unfamilar with, a patchwork of state laws prohibiting or restricting the drug all around the country, failed attempts by the feds to make it a Schedule I, ambigous DEA interpertations of how to prosecute people federally and a video of an American teen icon smoking it spreading virally all over the internet. To me, it's a recipe for prohibition that people like this guy are all too willing to cook up...

Former California State Assemblyman Anthony Adams tried to make salvia a Schedule I drug in 2007 but had to settle for age restrictions for purchasing and possessing it - making salvia legal for Miley Cyrus who is 18. Adams is already calling for the federal government to step in because of the Cyrus video. "It's time for state and federal governments to renew their push toward an outright ban" he told TMZ.

I think it's likely that they will. And soon.

I can see it now, "The Saving Hanna Montana from Hallucinogenic Herbs Bill of 2011."

SSDP featured in The Nation magazine

2010-12-10T16:23:00.003-05:00

Because of SSDP's expertise in empowering young people to change harmful drug war policies, I was invited to write a feature piece in The Nation magazine's December 27, 2010 issue about how students are motivated to work for marijuana ballot measures, here's an excerpt:

"Watching these young activists voraciously consuming information about how to win an election, just days after a historic loss, was more than invigorating. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Change is coming sooner than anyone believes. And this is what it's going to look like." Read the full article here.

If you appreciate the work that we are doing, please consider making your end-of-year donation to SSDP's work today.

Ducking Obligations: More News about Violence against Children in Mexico

2010-12-10T08:54:00.005-05:00

Children in a 2010 Juarez family development agency, from Reuters.

Unpredictable violence in Mexico continues to jeopardize a peaceful childhood. The fighting between security forces and drug trafficking organizations continues to claim the lives of children and their parents, with the former often labelled “collateral damage.”

But as reported last summer Mexican education and public safety officials stated their intention to roll out duck-and-cover trainings in the nation’s schools. The notice came hot on the heels of a spate of violence in Nayarit State, and its governor placed many schools in summer recess a week early.

Now, come winter, Reuters reports that a similar fear for children’s safety has arrived in the Pacific coastal resort of Acapulco. State officials have instituted similar duck-and-cover techniques. This time, though, instructors are not just teaching techniques in classrooms. The public safety officers are also brandishing toy guns that replicate the sound of real guns and making students respond in simulated shootouts.

While all this seems like a normal response to danger – after all, and as is well known, US children experienced such trainings during the Cold War, one wonders if raising children’s personal anxiety is actually permissible under international human rights law.

Mexico’s a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). While the first part of Article 19 of the CRC makes governments responsible for the protection of children from violence, the second part states that the government must roll out social – not individual or personal – programmes to ameliorate children’s welfare.

2. Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child…

Outside observers have not yet identified what the government is doing in communities such as Acapulco, Nayarit, or Ciudad Juárez to follow up after the violence has abated. And since Reuters reported a growing number of orphans from the violence not enrolled in social programs, it’s unclear if the Mexican government is actually attempting to ameliorate the plight of children or just ducking international and domestic obligations.

SSDP responds to "Operation Ivy League" drug arrests at Columbia University [PRESS RELEASE]

2010-12-08T17:04:00.009-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 8, 2010
CONTACT: Stacia Cosner, SSDP Outreach Director - 410-299-3433 or stacia@ssdp.org
Katharine Celentano, Columbia University SSDP - 914-420-2525 or kec2156@columbia.edu

NYPD Charges 5 Columbia University students in “Operation Ivy League”
SSDP: Arrests Will Not Reduce Drug Use, But Will Ruin Students’ Lives

NEW YORK, NY. – An aggressive NYPD raid of the students’ school residences was conducted Tuesday morning with students reporting dozens of police cars, dogs, and battering rams surrounding the fraternity houses some of the students were affiliated with. Five students were arrested & charged with drug distribution charges, but one student group on campus says the drug bust is unlikely to have any effect on drug use or availability at the Ivy League school.

“The real problems related to drug use that desperately need to be addressed, such as youth use and addiction, take a backseat to enforcing prohibition”, said Katharine Celentano, a student leader of the group Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at Columbia. “We certainly do not condone the illegal activities of the students who were arrested, but the reality is that drugs are still here, and this is a problem we can't arrest our way out of."

Stacia Cosner, a national staff member with SSDP adds "such pervasive drug war strategies like those employed Tuesday waste police resources and tax payer dollars and have no clear effect on drug use or availability and could actually make drug problems worse for students who now face scarring experiences within the criminal justice system and enormous barriers to education and career opportunities.” Cosner adds, “and the once promising trajectory for these five young lives with great potential, as Ivy League graduates will be thwarted by these dramatically negative results of a drug conviction.”

Celentano says “continuing such draconian policies will keep drug law violations strictly in the hands of criminal justice, while the public health aspect of drug use is left unaddressed.” She explains, “as long as police resources are being used to enforce strict drug laws, while being diverted from protecting victims from violent crime -- our campus community will continue to bear the social and economic consequences of these realities.”

SSDP emphasizes that mitigating harms associated with campus drug use using the iron fist of law enforcement is not the answer to the question of how to address youth drug use.

# # #

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities, but who also know that the War on Drugs is failing our generation and our society. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.

# # #

Chapter Leader of the Week: Tom Zocolo, Kent State University

2010-12-08T16:32:00.000-05:00

Tom at the 2010 SSDP Conference
in San Francisco

Name: Tom Zocolo
Chapter: Kent State University
Position: President

What was your most exciting experience with SSDP this year?
Hands down, the Midwestern conference was the most exciting thing to happen both personally and for our chapter at Kent. It was really a monumental planning effort that was well rewarded with both attendance and excitement from the SSDP community at large.

What issues are important for the Kent State SSDP chapter?

Right now our chapter is working towards getting a decrim bill on the 2011 ballot in Kent and other Ohio cities. We're working towards this both for the benefit and protection that such a measures will afford, and as part of a larger effort to encourage public discourse about marijuana legislation that will hopefully lead to Ohio being a medical marijuana state in 2012.

Do you have any events planned for the this semester?

Our chapter is planning on holding a music festival during the spring semester entitled Folk the Drug War Fest that we will use as a platform for outreach about issues such as medical marijuana, harm reduction, and crack/cocaine disparity sentencing.

What do you like best about being part of SSDP?

I like being a part of ssdp because there is such a tremendous amount of energy and vitality in the movement. It is refreshing to see a large group of my peers who are interested in correcting blatant civil injustice and dismantling one of the most blatantly anti-humanitarian political devices in the world.

Do you have any advice for other chapter leaders?

My advice for other chapter leaders: Learn to play the game. Learn how to work the bureaucracy both inside your school and within your community. We are trying to rewrite the way this monster operates and we aren't going to do it with rocks and spears. We need to be refined, professional, composed, and intelligent. We need to be inside of the system and outside of the system at the same time. If you think this sort of philosophy constitutes "selling out" you're misguided.

You need to be bigger than your dreadlocks and tie-dye. You need to be bigger than your suit jacket and your letterhead. Otherwise, you're a slave to something - whether it's the system or your anti-establishment worldview. I can submit this advice only as a humble aspirant to the ideal I put before you. But it is my most sincere hope and, I believe, the key to our collective success that we strive toward this end together.