Houston SSDP Launches Good Samaritan Policy Campaign

The SSDP chapter at the University of Houston SSDP chapter has launched their Good Samaritan Policy campaign this semester.

“Our immediate goal is to get a Good Samaritan Law passed and to encourage the students to get involved,” said political science senior Michael Blunk, founder of the UH’s SSDP chapter and member of the National Board of Directors. “Beyond that, we just want to promote any sort of policy that is going to help the students and keep them out of harm’s way.”


The chapter was covered in their school's newspaper, The Daily Cougar about their on campus efforts for a GSP and chapter leader/board member Michael Blunk gave some great quotes. In fact, about half of the article is just awesome quotes from Michael!


Pushing for a Good Samaritan Policy is one of the most important campaigns a SSDP chapter can take on. These are life saving policies that encourage all students to call 911 in the event of an alcohol or other drug related emergency. 

If your chapter wants to run a Good Samaritan Policy campaign, visit our campaign resources page and call your Outreach Director.

UMD SSDP Starts Semester Off Strong

SSDP's rock star chapter at the University of Maryland - College Park started the semester off strong by hosting a screening of the 2004 ABC News special, Ecstasy Rising. They even managed to pull off a Q&A via Skype with MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin!

This was an impressive event that turned out over 50 students and showcases the misinformation spread about MDMA by NIDA. Ecstasy Rising documents the drug's rise in popularity in the U.S. and discusses the real risks of MDMA use while explaining that the government's war on ecstasy was based on a study that didn't even involve MDMA and "accidently" used meth. Remember hearing that ecstasy puts holes in your brain? That's the study.

The UMD chapter is no stranger to media coverage, especially by their on campus newspaper: The Diamondback. The event, titled Ecstasy: The Good, The Bad, and The Truth was covered by The Diamondback and featured some great quotes from chapter leader and SSDP board member Irina Alexander:

“Nobody really knows where to go for reliable drug information,” said junior criminology and criminal justice major Irina Alexander, president of SSDP. “We’re not encouraging ecstasy use in any way, but we’re trying to give students the resources necessary to make decisions based on fact.”

I think this serves as a great example of how to put on a successful event. UMD SSDP covered all the bases and by working together as a team, made it clear that every SSDP chapter should and could be doing the same amazing work as UMD.

Here's some tips on putting together a great event:

1.) Decide on an event with your chapter (movie screening, LEAP speaker, etc...)

2.) Reserve a room on campus

3.) Create a Facebook Event associated with your chapter's Facebook group (if your chapter doesn't have a facebook group create one immediately and ask your SSDP Outreach Director for help if you need it!)

4.) Create posters and put them up in high-traffic areas on campus

5.) Ask your faculty advisor or other teachers to offer extra-credit to students that attend the event.

6.) Send a press-release to your school's paper and local media. (It's easier than you think!)

7.) Ask other groups on campus to co-sponsor.

8.) Provide refreshments like coffee, soda, and pizza.

9.) Table on campus the day of the event and hand out 1/4 sheet flyers.

10.) Be prepared. Bring email sign up sheets, pens and SSDP materials and encourage people to join SSDP.

11.) Have fun!

All of those steps together (minus tabling) probably take about 1.5 hrs of time! Less if you can delegate responsibilities effectively.

Sure, I left out some aspects like getting funding from your school, but that should never hold you back. Screening documentaries will often not cost your chapter a dime and can create a large turnout if publicized right. Plus,  I don't want to spoil everything you will learn about organizing events at SSDP's 11th Annual International Conference!

So come on SSDP! Who's gonna out do UMD?

5 Days in Jail for Possession of... Candy

A lot of SSDP chapters hold seminars on knowing your rights as a citizen, and knowing how to handle encounters with police officers. The main takeaway from these events is that you should ALWAYS say NO to search requests from police officers. This recent story demonstrates perfectly why you do this, even if you know you're not guilty of anything wrong.

From the New York Post: Two Bronx men free after ‘drugs’ turn out to be candy via Drug WarRant via The Agitator

Two Bronx men were locked up and left to rot in a filthy jail cell for nearly a week after a pair of cops mistook their candy for a bag of crack.

The “drugs” were finally tested five days later and determined to be popular Coco (coconut) Candy. The charges were dropped. [Emphasis added]

These were two innocent citizens, who let the police search their vehicle knowing they had nothing illegal on them. Too bad you aren't even required to be breaking the law to go to jail for five days. Think of the impact that had on their lives: five days without work (or school), five days away from their family, five days growing to distrust the police, etc. I want you to imagine yourself in this position? Doesn't sound too fun does it?

We must also not forget they were jailed at YOUR expense, since taxpayers had to pay to hold them in that cell for those five days. YOU also had to pay for the drug tests that determined the "crack" was actually just candy. It's an incredible waste of money, and a direct consequence of the War on Drugs.

American University SSDP

American University was one of SSDP's first chapters when the organization formed just over a decade ago. As you can see, the chapter is still active and hopes to make it out to SSDP's 11th Annual International Drug Policy Reform Conference in San Francisco. But San Francisco is quite a ways from D.C.

Can you help American University SSDP by donating to our scholarship fund?

Group Tells Kids Alcohol is Safer than Marijuana

After seeing an ad on Facebook for a "free marijuana information packet" created by the Foundation for a Drug Free World, I thought I'd check out their website. Then I watched this video:

Of course, I had to order the information packet after watching that action packed PSA complete with plenty of screaming, guns, smashing things and scary looking young people (actually, the first video I saw was marijuana specific but they didn't put that one up on YouTube...).

I received the packet this week. Inside was a little booklet titled "The Truth About Marijuana: Behind the smokescreen from a drug that destroys from the inside out."

This little booklet contains the usual misinformation and scare tactics you'd expect to find from any organization with the words "drug free" in their title. But there was one part that left me flabbergasted: Alcohol vs. Marijuana. Wow. They really want to take this one on? Here's what they have to say:

Is smoking a joint the same as drinking alcohol?

You decide. Here are the facts:

Alcohol consists of one substance only: ethanol. Marijuana contains more than 400 known toxins and cancer causing chemicals.

Alcohol is eliminated from the body in a few hours; THC stays in the body fat for months, possibly longer. Thus, a person who smokes 2 to 3 joints a week is constantly under the influence of the drug.

THC damages the immune system. Alcohol does not.

There is no intention here to minimize the dangers of alcohol abuse, which can be equally harmful. Alcohol, however, can be used in moderation without causing severe damage. Cannabis, which is used almost exclusively as an intoxicant, is far more dangerous even when used in small amounts because it's active agent continues to build up in body fat.

I could waste my time rebutting these "facts" but anyone with half a brain already knows these are flat out lies. Besides, Steve Fox, Mason Tvert, and Paul Armentano have written an entire book on the safety of marijuana in comparison to alcohol.

The claims made by the Foundation for a Drug Free World in this booklet easily make this one of the most irresponsible attempts to manipulate and lie to young people that I have ever seen. They should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. They're also funded by the Church of Scientology.

Here's what people who live on this planet have to say about the possibility of a drug free world:

FAMM Recaps 2009

2009 was a great year for the drug policy reform movement. All of the organizations that work side by side with SSDP to promote sensible and compassionate drug policies should be celebrated for their contributions.

For me, one organization really deserves a standing ovation. Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), as the name implies, has a pretty direct mission: putting an end to devastating mandatory sentences for drug offenders.

Check out FAMM's newest newsletter for a rundown on all the progress they have made in 2009 and a profile on Sen. Jim Webb and the National Criminal Justice Commission Act.

Register for SSDP's 11th Annual International Conference

This is shaping up to be SSDP's greatest conference to date. Hundreds of students from all over the world have RSVPed and the registrations are pouring in!

Register before January 16th and you'll save $10 on the registration fee, so act fast!

We can't wait to see you all in San Francisco, CA this March!

Replacement for Prof. David Nutt Also Said Cannabis Should be Legalized

I guess I should be writing "legalised" for this one.

Surely you remember Prof. David Nutt making international headlines late last year after the UK government drug policy adviser was fired for saying that marijuana should be legalized. Five other members of the advisory council he chaired quit in protest to his firing. Nutt has just been replaced by Professor Les Iverson who, ironically, has made similar remarks regarding cannabis' legality.

He said: "Cannabis should be legalised not just decriminalised because it is comparatively less dangerous than legal drugs alcohol and tobacco."

Iverson now claims to have learned more about marijuana and changed his point of view.

"I don't remember saying that, it's certainly not my position now. That was a view I had in 2003 and a great deal has happened since then. I think it's quite free for a scientist to change his mind when faced with new facts."

Or when faced with a new job opportunity...

CA Assembly Committee Passes Marijuana Legalization Bill

Unfortunately, it's likely the bill won't go any further after today's monumental 4-3 victory in the Public Safety Committee. The bill needs to make it into the Health Committee before a legislative deadline this week and it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

But so what? We won! This is the first time that any legislative body in the nation has voted to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use. In October, SSDP members from SJSU and UC Berkeley attended the first hearing on the bill and participated in the public opinion, voicing their support for the bill and citing specific harms caused by marijuana prohibition.

SSDP had a strong presence at this hearing too and it was exciting to be in California's capitol as the Assembly Committee on Public Safety voted YES to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana throughout the state.


Afterward, we attended the press conference organized by law enforcement and the California Alliances for Drug Free Youth condemning the Assembly's vote. They gave a lot of scary reasons to fear legalizing pot. Some of these people are well intentioned. Others I'm not so sure about. But they're both wrong.

What I liked about AB 390 was that it would have taken tax dollars from marijuana sales and put them into drug education and prevention programs for youth. These types of programs are underfunded as it is and if they are realistic and honest (not DARE) they can make positive differences in young people's lives. So naturally it seemed absurd to me that Republican Assemblyman Danny Gilmore, who voted nay on the bill, expressed his distaste for that particular aspect of the legislation:

''We're going to legalize marijuana, we're going to tax it, and then we're going to educate our kids about the harms of drugs?'' said Gilmore, a 31-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol. ''You've got to be kidding me.''

We're not joking. But that sure is a funny position to take when we know that this is exactly what some states do with alcohol and tobacco taxes. And it works. A study at the University of Florida showed “statistically overwhelming evidence” that raising taxes on alcohol reduces the level of drinking. As alcohol gets more expensive, people will drink less frequently and drink less when they do.

Just think about that. AB 390 would impose a $50 tax per ounce! $50 per ounce folks. So not only would the price be going up dramatically and likely to increase over years but the tax dollars go toward prevention programs! Seems plain as day to me...

Check out this video for a great rundown of what happened today (you even get to see me start things off by fumbling some words!).

The Peppermint Police: Coming to a Middle School Near You

I sure am glad that I'm not a parent. America's elementary and middle schools are filled with horrifying dangers that terrify parents each morning as they send their children off to school. Gangs. Drugs. STD's. Peppermint oil.

That's right. A ten year old student was suspended from a New York school after she brought in peppermint oil and gave some drops to her fifth grade friends to flavor their water with. The school called the peppermint oil "an unregulated over-the-counter drug.”

Parents of other students in the school must be comforted that the swift suspension carried out by school officials will keep peppermint oil away from their children and send a strong message to the student body. After all, what better way to teach a 10 year old right from wrong than by kicking her out of school? For sharing peppermint oil...

I'm just glad it wasn't citrus folks. It starts with peppermint and before you know you it these kids are flavoring water with slices of lemons. Maybe some lime juice. And you know your kid has a problem when he's on the grapefruit. That stuff is bitter!

This incident is both an example of absurd zero tolerance drug policies and a growing effort to "police" children of all ages. School administrators enforce arbitrary policies with a heavy hand and much like law enforcement, they seem to never feel the need to apologize when they are clearly wrong. Watch this movie: The War on Kids