Blog

SSDP is traveling to sunny St. Petersburg, FL January 26 - 29th as a cosponsor of the 4th annual Florida Harm Reduction Collective Conference, and we hope to see members of our SSDP community in attendance. Kat Murti, SSDP's Executive Director, will be giving giving on talk entitled, “Storytelling With ...

Apply to Become a Candidate for SSDP’s Board of Directors Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is governed by a Board of Directors, which is composed of both current student and youth Elected Directors, who are active chapter members elected by our membership, and Appointed Directors, who are appointed by ...

SSDP was one of the first youth-led drug policy organizations to seek Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2011, giving us the opportunity to make sure the youth voice is heard when the UN is making crucial international drug policy decisions.Please submit this ...

We urgently need your help! A newly introduced bill in California, SB 758, is being fast-tracked and could move within days. If passed, it would classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I substance, cutting off research, criminalizing people overnight, and repeating the very harms California has worked to undo. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) strongly ...

In California, Bill SB 758 proposes to classify 6-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in kratom, as a Schedule I substance. A Schedule I classification would prevent vital research into the safety, dosage, and therapeutic potential of 7-OH. Students for Sensible Drug Policy opposes this bill because ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kat Murti Executive Director Students for Sensible Drug Policy kat@ssdp.org SSDP Condemns Trump Administration Capture of Venezuelan President On January 3rd, President Trump and the U.S. government conducted strikes on Venezuela and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine ...

In 2025, SSDP turned momentum into meaningful impact across every level of drug policy reform. From hosting and participating in powerful events that convened students, advocates, and policymakers, to mobilizing young leaders for lobby days that brought student voices directly to statehouses and decision-makers, our movement showed up where it ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gina Giorgio Director of Strategy and Development Students for Sensible Drug Policy gina@ssdp.org Cannabis Unity Coalition Responds to President Trump's Decision to Reschedule Cannabis, Calls on Congress to Deliver Real Reform Convened by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the Cannabis Unity Coalition is the nation's ...

Greenway Magazine featured Kat Murti in their article today after President Trump announced that he has signed an Executive Order directing the federal government to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Criminal justice and public health advocates acknowledged progress while underscoring unresolved issues ...

President Trump signed an Executive Order today federally rescheduling cannabis. This directive will begin the transferring of the plant from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).  Cannabis rescheduling is a step forward, but not justice. At SSDP, we’re fighting for full federal legalization and real ...

Overdose Prevention Sites (OPSs) are life-saving programs where drug users can administer their drugs safely to ensure the risk of overdose diminishes. OPSs remove those struggling with substance use from the streets and into a safe environment that helps connect them to treatment and essential resources related to housing, mental ...

At Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), we believe that science, compassion, and autonomy—not fear and misinformation—should guide public health decisions. The recent push to criminalize 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a natural compound found in kratom, is yet another example of the failed War on Drugs approach that harms people rather than ...

A broad coalition of consumer advocates and drug-policy reform groups recently sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jim Jordan, encouraging Congress not to ban 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound related to kratom. The entire letter is included at the bottom of this blog post. The letter argues that ...

SSDP is gathering together in Detroit, MI next week for Drug Policy Alliance's Reform Conference. Our staff, board members, chapter leaders, and ambassadors from coast to coast will be attending the conference, hosting an overdose prevention workshop, and leading panel discussions. We're hosting a welcome party on Wednesday, November 12 ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gina Giorgio Director of Strategy and Development Students for Sensible Drug Policy gina@ssdp.org Statement from Students for Sensible Drug Policy On the Extrajudicial Killing of Unarmed Fishermen in the Name of the “War on Drugs” Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) condemns in the strongest possible ...

SSDP’s PA Cannabis Day of Unity brought together a bipartisan coalition in support of legalizing cannabis for adult use in Pennsylvania. On Monday, October 27, SSDP hosted a booth in the Main Rotunda of the State Capitol, and dropped off literature to the PA House & Senate in support of ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contact: Gina Giorgio Director of Strategy and Development Students for Sensible Drug Policy gina@ssdp.org PA Cannabis Day of Unity: Bipartisan Advocate Coalition and Lawmakers Call on Pennsylvania to Legalize Cannabis Advocates call on lawmakers to pass SB 120 and finally bring fair, regulated cannabis legalization to Pennsylvania ...

We call on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis products for adults 21 and older to advance freedom, health and safety, and justice, while generating much-needed revenue for the Commonwealth and its residents. Each year, Pennsylvania authorities make over 10,000 arrests for cannabis possession. This mass ...

Join us on Thursday, October 30th at 7pm ET to discuss the spookiest side of policy, the ones in desperate need of reform! Come hang out with other SSDP folks, give and get advice for a successful semester, and meet our national board members. This event is open to the ...

On 10/20/25, SSDP Executive Director, Kat Murti, testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure in support of An Act to Clarify the Minimum Age for the Sale and Purchase of Adult-Use Products (H.330/S.221). H.330/S.221 directly addresses Massachusetts law with a confirmation that the statewide age ...