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2012-2013 Report

Students for SensibleDrug Policy

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Leadership

Accomplishments

Media Highlights

Numbers

Campaigns

Chapter Network

Events

AMPLIFY Project

Students + Alumni

Where Our Alumni Work

2013-2014 Objectives

Ways to Donate

Financial Information

Partners + Allies

3 StAFF

Dear Supporter:

Drug policy reform is an exploding social and political movement following our victories in

Washington and Colorado last November. But it’s a surprisingly few number of people who

are working within the organizations that are driving these changes. Leaders and implementers

in this movement are in short supply.

this is where Students for Sensible Drug Policy comes in. We fill the pipeline with the future

leaders of the drug policy reform movement.

One of those leaders is Alec Foster, a star activist from our New York University chapter.

Alec worked at the White House as an intern in the Office of Presidential Personnel. Last

fall, when I happened to be there meeting with senior White House staffers about marijuana

policy, I dropped by afterward to visit Alec in his office. It was humbling and it hit home for

me the power of SSDP — that our message reaches far beyond just the four full-time staff

members we employ. It comes in the form of the thousands of students we inspire and mo-

tivate to go out and persuade others to support drug policy reform. When Alec was inter-

viewed about his activism by USA today in March, he was quoted as saying that he wouldn’t

have earned a White House internship without having been involved with SSDP. But he also

said something wise beyond his years: “You can’t really learn to be a leader from a class.”

Rachelle Yeung also learned to be a leader from SSDP. She’s been part of our growing

network of law school chapters who was an integral part of the legalization campaign in

Colorado this past fall. there’s Jurri Van den Hurk, a student in Virginia who told me that

he got his first suit and short haircut because he wanted to look professional for an SSDP

lobby day. And there’s Rebecca Saltzman, an SSDP alum who was just elected to the Board

of Directors for the Bay Area Rapid transit (BARt) System in November.

this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes work to develop leaders. It takes dedicated out-

reach staff checking in with chapters regularly, helping them figure out policy solutions at

the local level, and training them to train others within their chapters.

the big difference between us and other drug policy reform groups is that we are by far the

best return on investment, because we primarily rely on volunteer power. In order to sustain

our robust network of activists, we need staff in our national office who will mentor and

guide them through the leadership pipeline. Every day, I beam with pride at what our small

staff of four people accomplishes, managing a network of 3,000 activists on 200 campuses

while working out of 192 square feet of office space.

And as you’ll see in this report, we’re a growing family of activists. Now that we’ve cel-

ebrated our 15th year of existence, alumni who met through SSDP are creating new families

and having babies, such as the Krane family featured in these pages. I like to say — only half

jokingly — that they’re adding to the leadership pipeline one young person at a time.

thank you for your support. together, we will end the war on drugs.

Sensibly Yours,

Aaron Houston

Executive Director

Staff

Aaron Houston Executive

Director, Stacia Cosner Deputy

Director,, Devon tackels

Outreach Director, Drew

Stromberg Outreach Director

BOARD 4

Dear Supporter:

Nearly four years ago, I was a freshman at the University of Connecticut looking to turn my

love of politics into meaningful action. trying to find my place, I attended the first few meet-

ings of nearly a dozen student organizations - but none felt right. We’d talk about current

events, then set our next meeting date and adjourn. After a few weeks, it seemed like every-

one was unhappy about something, but no one was actually trying to make change. then I

found SSDP.

At my first meeting, the chapter leaders gave a quick explanation of what SSDP was, then

had everyone in the room call our congressman and help advertise an upcoming event. We

didn’t just talk about what was wrong with our current policies - we worked to improve

them. By the end of that meeting, I was an SSDPer for life.

During my time as a chapter member, I was involved in

more successful campaigns than I could describe on this

page. UConn SSDP helped make Connecticut the 12th state

to decriminalize marijuana and the 17th state to allow its

medical use. We took over our student government, then

used that leverage to expand our sober rides program and

bring our campus marijuana penalties in line with those for

underage alcohol consumption.

this is why SSDP is so effective. the War on Drugs is ter-

ribly pervasive, with counterproductive policies in effect at

the international, federal, state, local, and even campus

levels. And we’re the only organization with thousands of

members across the world working to end the Drug War

on all its fronts. We give our chapters a great degree of au-

tonomy, allowing them to identify the best opportunities for change and then work to make

them happen.

Yet while our chapters are the backbone of SSDP, they’d be nowhere near as powerful if not

for our phenomenal staff. Aaron, Stacia, Devon, and Drew work tirelessly to assist our mem-

bers, turning them from curious students into prohibition-ending all-stars. From massive

international conferences to one-on-one consulting on how to run a good meeting, they’re

there to teach our members and help them learn from one another. Meanwhile, our volun-

teer, student-run board of directors works to support the staff and guide the activities of

the organization.

And none of this would be possible without people like you. Donations large and small make

it possible for us to continue expanding our network, raising awareness, and most impor-

tantly, changing laws. thank you so much for your support.

Stay Sensible,

Sam Tracy

Board Chair

Board of Directors

Sam tracy Chair, Brandon

Levey Vice Chair, Julie Roberts

Treasurer, Eric Sterling, Graham

De Barra, thomas Silverstein,

Kris Krane, Kat Humphries,

Randy Hencken, Stephen Duke,

Rodrigo ‘Froggy’ Vasquez,

Kellen Russoniello

We’re the only organiza-

tion with thousands of

members across the world

working to end the Drug

War on all its fronts. We

give our chapters a great

degree of autonomy,

allowing them to identify

the best opportunities for

change and then work

to make them happen.

Accomplishments

Feb 2013: Sensible Drug Policy Inside Congress

SSDP staff members played a key role in helping to

advise the newly formed “Sensible Drug Policy Working

Group” that brings together Members of Congress, their

staff, and advocates to help forge a new path forward in

regulating marijuana. the group released a report authored

by Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO) and Earl Blumenauer

(D-OR) entitled “the Path Forward: Rethinking Federal

Marijuana Policy.”

July 2012: Getting Drug Warrior Congressman

Frank Wolf On the Record

As we saw this year, the DEA continues to raid patients,

Aug 2012: New Logo + Sensible Membership

In August 2012, we unveiled a new logo along with the

“Sensible Membership” program. Our work wouldn’t be

possible without small donations from supporters like

you. to date, we have received more than $10,000 in

recurring donations, so that puts us a little more than

halfway toward our goal of $20,000. Visit ssdp.org/be-

come-a-member for more information.

ACCOMPLISHMENtS 6

Siblings for Sensible Drug

Policy. Deputy Director Stacia

Cosner and her brother, Buddy

Cosner, at the U.S. Capitol

during SSDP’s Federal Mari-

juana Lobby Day, June 2013.

Buddy is also in the process

of starting an SSDP chapter

at Morgan State University.

Earlier this year, Buddy deliv-

ered testimony in favor of a

marijuana decriminalization bill

in Maryland’s state legislature.

July 2012: Devon Tackels Calls Out Drug Czar

“Not every job involves calling out senior White House officials on national television, but I’m lucky that mine does. In July 2012, I went to an

event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

with Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office on

National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), otherwise known

as the Drug Czar. I questioned his statement that the war

on drugs has supposedly ended, since the rising death toll

in Mexico certainly still looks like war. Kerlikowske predict-

ably dodged the question, but I got our message out to

C-SPAN viewers all over the nation and hopefully caused

some viewers to question the Drug Czar’s propagandistic

presentation. this was a big responsibility, because I ask

our students all over the country to do the same thing

regularly: to speak truth to power to their local and state

elected officials. You can watch my exchange on SSDP’s

Youtube channel.”

doctors and state-authorized medical marijuana dispen-

saries in states where medical marijuana is legal. to stop

these raids, leading Members of Congress offered an

amendment to the Justice Department spending bill to

block the DEA from raiding patients, doctors and medi-

cal marijuana dispensaries in medical marijuana states.

the amendment was debated on May 9, 2012 in the U.S.

House of Representatives. Unfortunately, despite many

strong statements by members of Congress in support,

the Amendment was defeated in a roll-call vote. Only one

member stood up to defend the raids, U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf

(R-VA). Wolf, nearly hysterical, brought up almost every

myth about marijuana. He even suggested that medical

marijuana laws should be compared to laws that would

allow sexual trafficking in children! SSDP, in the long, hon-

orable tradition of world-wide student activism, went to his

home turf of Leesburg, Virginia to call out Rep. Wolf to his

constituents and to confront him at the Fourth of July pa-

rade as he was campaigning for re-election to a 17th term.

1

A Family of Activists. “Part

of what makes SSDP special is

that we’re more than just an

organization. We’re a family of

activists. Former executive

director and current board

member, Kris Krane, and his

wife, former Vice Chair of our

board of directors, Jenny Jani-

check-Krane, met through their

shared involvement in SSDP.”

+

2

Media Highlights

Aaron Houston, executive

director of Students for

Sensible Drug Policy—a

group with chapters on col-

lege campuses nationwide—

told U.S. News that the age

restriction “comes up for us

on a regular basis because

the majority of our constitu-

ency is people between the

ages of 18 and 21.”

“Young Adults Left

Behind By Marijuana

Legalizations in Colorado,

Washington”, U.S. News

and World Report, Jan

15, 2013

Whether it’s the College

Republicans, Students for

a Democratic Society,

Young Americans for Lib-

erty, Students for Sensible

Drug Policy, or any other

student group engaging in

free expression, we stand

ready to defend their right

to do so.

“Why Students Need A

Guide to Free Speech On

Campus More Than Ever”,

PBS, Aug 6, 2012

Students for Sensible Drug

Policy is an international

grassroots organization that

seeks to empower youth

through drug education.

Sebastian Blake Swae-

Shampine, legislative action

director for Michigan’s

chapter of SSDP, said the

bill was the first step in

combating the “war on

drugs.” “the imposition of a

fine rather than punishment

through prosecution would

bring the consequences of

marijuana abuse in the do-

main of public health rather

than criminal justice,” said

Swae-Shampine said.

“Marijuana Decriminaliza-

tion Bill Introduced to

Michigan House of Repre-

sentatives”, The Michigan

Daily, April 25, 2013

Students for Sensible Drug

Policy believes progressive

school policy yields the saf-

est and least destructive

drug culture possible. Pro-

gressive drug policy, once

considered political suicide,

now defines a new political

consensus.

“SSDP On Drug Culture”,

The Brown Daily Herald,

April 17, 2013

For many years, calling 911

or campus safety hotlines in

a drug or alcohol overdose

situation could result in

disciplinary action for the

student in trouble, the stu-

dent who called and other

students in the group. How-

ever, Students for a Sen-

sible Drug Policy (SSDP),

an organization gaining

ground on campuses across

the United States, is fighting

to change that. “I wouldn’t

be a student senator, or

have applied for a White

House internship, without

being a part of SSDP and

recognizing my potential as

a leader,” said Foster. “You

can’t really learn to be a

leader from a class.”

“Drug Policy Debate

Pushes Students Toward

Activism, Leadership”, USA

Today College, Mar 17, 2013

“the rationale behind

having a Good Samaritan

policy was removing that

hesitation when there’s a

life-threatening situation,”

[SSDP’s Stacia] Cosner

said. “We just think it’s a

logical extension to protect

people.” Irina Alexander,

who served as president of

this university’s chapter of

Students for Sensible Drug

Policy, agreed. “Even if this

policy saves one life, it’s

completely worth it,” she

said. “It seems like a really

logical, straightforward

policy.”

“All-inclusive Good Samari-

tan Policy Passes University

of Maryland Senate”, The

Diamondback, Feb 13, 2013

Norquist comes at the issue

from a libertarian bent. “A

lot of folks... across the

political spectrum recog-

nize this as a federalism

issue,” Norquist told the

crowd gathered for the

event, which was sponsored

by Students for Sensible

Drug Policy. “Marijuana le-

galization is something that

should be a conservative

issue, and Grover is helping

to bolster that argument,”

says Aaron Houston, execu-

tive director.

“When Grover Met Jared:

Norquist, Polis Odd Couple

on Marijuana”, The Wash-

ington Post, June 26, 2013

7 MEDIA HIGHLIGHtS NUMBERS 8

Numbers

total Facebook page likes

(all time)

34,143Website views

(in the past year)

341,787

481

total email supporters

(all time)

Youtube views

(all time)

194,818 1,743,746

6,367Students provided with

one-on-one support

Emails to legislative bodies

(in the past year)

584,823Dollars in our annual budget

(in the past year)

10,817New email supporters

(in the past year)

49,460Online donations

(in the past year)

263Mentions by news media

(in the past year)

277New chapter applications

(in the past year)

29,877People who have ever been

in an SSDP chapter

18,000Phone calls made to CO

voters for Amendment 64

6Campus drug policies

changed, 2012 acad. year

404People at our last

conference

192Square feet in

our office

4Full time staff members

10State drug policies influ-

enced since September

17Students who have testified

in state legislatures in 2012

9Student board members

(College or law students)

9 CAMPAIGNS

Campaigns

Aug 2012: Equalizing Penalties for Marijuana and Alcohol

Violations at Ithaca College

Starting the fall 2012 semester, Ithaca College will punish

both marijuana and alcohol violations with the same sanc-

tions. For more than a year, Ithaca College’s chapter of

SSDP had worked with the Student Government Associa-

tion and the administration on the details of the new “equal-

ization policy”, which was included with other recommen-

dations from the Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention (AOD)

team that would change the judicial protocol for sanctioning

students caught in possession of minor amounts of marijuana.

June 2012: Decriminalizing Adult Marijuana Possession

In Rhode Island

In June 2012, Gov. Chafee signed S2253/H7092 into law.

this legislation replaces the criminal penalties for adults’

possession of up to an ounce of marijuana with a civil viola-

tion of $150 for most violations. Rhode Island SSDPers

canvassed local neighborhoods to gather grassroots sup-

port, authored several op-eds and Letters-to-the-Editor in

local newspapers, lobbied representatives, and even testi-

fied before lawmakers in support of passing the legislation.

CAMPAIGNS 10

Aug 2012: Florida State University Implements

Medical Amnesty Policy

In August 2012, Florida State University announced a Medi-

cal Amnesty Policy to take effect in the fall 2012 semester.

Our chapter at FSU had been working with their administra-

tion for years in efforts to implement a 911 Good Samaritan

Policy on their campus and their hard work finally paid off.

Oct 2012: SUNY New Paltz Codifies 911 Good Samaritan

Policy

Announced in October 2012, administrators at the State

University of New York at New Paltz have agreed to include

in the new 2012-2013 Student Handbook a 911 Good Samari-

tan Policy, which seeks to protect students from disciplin-

ary action for underage drinking or drug possession when

calling for help in a medical emergency. New Paltz SSDP

worked to enact this policy during the 2011-2012 school

year after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into

law a statewide Good Samaritan Policy in 2011.

Nov 2012: Eastern Michigan University Students Help Make

Marijuana the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority in Ypsilanti

Our students at Eastern Michigan University crafted a

city-wide ballot initiative to pass a lowest law enforcement

priority for marijuana in the city of Ypsilanti. Over the past

election cycle they gathered the signatures to get it on the

ballot, and saw it through with canvassing and educational

campaigns within the Ypsilanti community. Not only did it

pass, but it passed with an impressive margin at 74 per-

cent! Now, police will be able to redirect police efforts from

enforcing laws against marijuana use, and instead focus on

serious crimes.

Nov 2012: Making History in Colorado With the Passage of

Amendment 64

Students and activists from across the country utilized our

custom-built phonebank system to make more than 18,000

phone calls to Colorado voters in support of Amendment

64. We also coordinated the only student-orientated GOtV

effort. Our volunteers engaged with more than 10,000

student voters on six Colorado campuses in the final days

of the campaign. thanks in part to our students’ efforts, the

initiative passed.

Dec 2012: District of Columbia Mayor Signs Good

Samaritan Overdose Prevention Amendment Act of 2012

On December 7, 2012, District of Columbia Mayor Vincent

Gray signed the Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention

Amendment Act of 2012. the legislation provides limited

legal protection for those who witness or experience a drug

overdose and summon medical assistance. the law went

into effect in March 2013, after having gone before the

United States Congress for review, as required by federal

law. SSDP students and board members were involved in

Jan 2013: Keene State Brings 911 Good Samaritan Policy

to Campus

Our students at Keene State College played an integral role

in passing a 911 Good Samaritan Policy on campus. After

drafting the policy themselves, they spent a semester edu-

cating their campus about the benefits of the policy

through aggressive outreach. then, KSC SSDP students

petitioned the school with majority student support for

passage. Following the petition, our students worked one-

on-one with school administrators to make sure the policy

was implemented.

Feb 2013: University of Maryland Approves 911 Good

Samaritan Policy For All Drugs

After proposing a measure nearly six years ago that would

protect students intoxicated on drugs or alcohol from uni-

versity sanctions if they call 911 for themselves or a friend,

the University of Maryland University Senate voted, over-

whelmingly, to approve an all-inclusive 911 Good Samaritan

policy. the policy first passed the University Senate in 2011,

when it was amended to only include alcohol. But activ-

ists quickly mobilized to push for a policy that included all

drugs, leading former undergraduate senator and current

vice chair of SSDP’s board of directors, Brandon Levey, to

propose all-inclusive legislation in 2012. the campaign was

started by now Deputy Director of SSDP, Stacia Cosner

when she was a UMD SSDP member. She is pictured here

with current and former UMD student activists who were

part of the years-long effort, including Brandon Levey

(Board Vice Chair).

Feb 2013: Congressman Jared Polis Introduces Bill to End

Federal Marijuana Prohibition

In February 2013, SSDP joined Congressmen Jared Polis (D-

May 2013: New Jersey’s Good Samaritan Emergency

Response Act Becomes Law

SSDP was proud to be a member of New Jersey’s New So-

lutions Campaign, where our students worked on their cam-

puses and in their communities to promote a statewide 911

Good Samaritan Policy. New Jersey students educated

community members about drug overdose and prevention,

lobbied state legislators, and wrote op-eds and letters-to-

the-editor in local and state newspapers. Governor Chris

Christie signed the bill into law in May 2013.

Spring 2013: MCLA Adopts 911 Good Samaritan Policy

During the Spring 2013 semester, the Massachusetts Col-

lege of Liberal Arts adopted a 911 Good Samaritan Policy

on campus. this policy was proposed by our chapter, and

was seen through by diligent work between our students

and their working relationship with campus administrators.

this policy will be part of freshman orientation for the first

time starting in Fall 2013.

June 2013: Administrators Approve 911 Good Samaritan

Policy at Roosevelt University

Our students at Roosevelt University spent much of the

Spring 2013 semester working to implement a 911 Good

Samaritan Policy on campus. After drafting the policy, they

submitted a proposal to university administration, and

worked tirelessly with administrators through the policy-

making process to get the proposal accepted. the recently

passed policy is scheduled to take effect fall 2013.

Colo.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) at a press conference

announcing the introduction of H.R. 499, the “Ending Fed-

eral Prohibition of Marijuana Act of 2013.” the bill would

end federal prohibition of marijuana and regulate it similarly

to alcohol, deferring to states that decide to legalize marijuana.

the process from the beginning, attending coalition meet-

ings, drafting language, and conducting outreach.

12 13

+

Sept 2012: Northeast Regional Conference

Over 100 students gather in Providence, RI for the

2012 Northeast Regional SSDP Conference.

13 CHAPtER NEtWORK

American University

Anne Arundel Community College

Appalachian State University

Arizona State University

Auburn University

Augustana College

Austin Peay University

Berkeley City College

Boise State University

Boston College

Boston University

Bridgewater State

Brooklyn Law School

Brown University

Butte Community College

California State University-East Bay

California State University-Fullerton

Carnegie Mellon University

Central Michigan University

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Chemeketa Community College

Chico State University

Christopher Newport University

Clark University

Colgate University

College of Charleston

College of the Redlands

College of William and Mary

Colorado State University

Columbia University

Community College of Rhode Island

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Creighton University

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Dickinson College

Duke University

Duquesne University

Eastern Michigan University

Eckerd College

Edmonds Community College

Edwin O. Smith High School

Emerson College

Everett Community College

Fairmont State University

Fayetteville High School

Fitchburg State University

Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida International University

Florida State University

Fort Lewis College

Francis W. Parker High School

Gallaudet University

George Washington University

George Washington University Law School

Georgetown University Law Center

Georgia State University

Golden Gate University

Green Mountain College

Grinnell College

Hartsville High School

Harvard College

Harvard Law

Hendrix College

Highland Park High School

Hunter College

Illinois Wesleyan University

Iowa City West High School

Itasca Community College

Ithaca College

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College

James Madison University

John F. Kennedy University

Kalamazoo College

Kansas State University

Keene State College

Kennesaw State University

Kent State University

Lacey township HS

Lafayette College

Lawrence University

Lewis and Clark Law School

Lewis and Clark University

Lone Star College tomball

Los Angeles City College

Louisiana State University

Manchester University

Maryville College

Massachusetts College of

Liberal Arts

Mesa Community College

Michigan State University

Middle tennessee State University

Midwestern State University

Monarch High School

Montana State University

Chapter Network

15Avg. members

per chapter

43 States with active

chapters

193 Active SSDP chapters

in the U.S.

12 Law school chapters

2,968 Active chapter

members

14 Countries outside U.S.

with active chapters

U.S. Chapters

CHAPtER NEtWORK 14

New College of Florida

New York University

North Carolina State University

North East High School

Northeastern University

Northeastern University

School of Law

Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus

Northland Pioneer College

Northwest Michigan University

Northwestern University

Ohio University

Oregon State University

Pennsylvania State University-Berks

Portland State University

Red Rocks Community College

Rhodes College

Rice University

Roosevelt University

Rowan University

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Saint Charles Community College

Salt Lake Community College

San Diego State University

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

Schenectady County Community College

Schoolcraft Community College

Smith College

South Dakota State University

Southern Arkansas University

St. Cloud State University

SUNY Binghamton University

SUNY Fredonia

SUNY New Paltz

SUNY Oswego

SUNY Potsdam

towson University

truman University

tufts University

tulane University

tunxis Community College

University of Alabama

University of Alabama Birmingham

University of Arizona

University of California - Merced

University of California -Berkeley

University of California-Hastings School of Law

University of California-Irvine

University of California- Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Cruz

University of Central Florida

University of Chicago

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

University of Colorado Denver

University of Colorado

School of Law

University of Connecticut

University of Denver Law School

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Hartford

University of Idaho

University of Kentucky

University of Maine- Farmington

University of Maryland

University of Maryland Baltimore College

University of Maryland School of Law

University of Massachusetts- Boston

University of Miami

University of Michigan- Ann Arbor

University of Missouri - Columbia

University of Nebraska Omaha

University of Nevada-Reno

University of New Hampshire

University of New Haven

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina Charlotte

University of North Florida

University of North Georgia

University of North texas

University of Oregon-Eugene

University of Pennsylvania

University of Rhode Island

University of San Diego School of Law

University of South Alabama

University of South Florida

University of Southern California

University of texas Austin

University of the Incarnate Word

University of toledo

University of West Florida

University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Ursinus College

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia tech

Washington State University-Pullman

West Chester University

West Virginia University

Western Michigan University

Western Washington University

Westminster College

Whitman College

Whittier Law School

Williams College

Africa

AME Zion University

Prince of Wales School

Government Rokel Secondary School

Australia

Australia Victoria University

Colombia

Universidad Nacional de Colombia Nacional

Universidad de Caldas

México

Mexico UACM

Mexico Universidad Veracruzana

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México

Netherlands

Dutch (various chapters)

Nigeria

Nigeria (various chapters)

Ireland

Ireland University of Cork

Jamaica

University of the West Indes (Jamaica)

June 2013: Federal Marijuana Lobby Day

More than 50 students from across the country convened

in Washington, DC to lobby their elected officials on mari-

juana policy reform. We provided students with lobbying

training and talking points, and assisted them in scheduling

their meetings. One piece of sensible legislation our stu-

dents lobbied for was HR 499, the Ending Federal Prohibi-

tion of Marijuana Act of 2013, sponsored by Congressman

Jared Polis (D-Co.) which essentially aims to allow states

to determine their own marijuana policies, protecting their

law-abiding residents and business from federal prosecu-

tion. Post lobbying, we hosted a reception on Capitol Hill

with special guests from across the political spectrum,

including Congressman Polis and conservative stalwart

Grover Norquist. By bringing these two elected officials

with starkly different philosophies together to champion

the same cause, we were able to illustrate and promote the

truly nonpartisan nature of marijuana policy reform.

Washington, District of Columbia

+

15 EVENtS

Events

Sept 2012: Northeast Regional Conference

this past September, more than 120 students gathered

at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island to “talk

it up” about drug policy reform. Over the course of the

weekend, students heard from prominent leaders in the

drug policy reform movement and discussed building

political capital through coalitions, drug policy activism

in the internet age, diversifying the drug policy reform

movement, the state of medical marijuana, juvenile justice

reform, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Providence, Rhode Island

Sept 2012: Mountain Plains Regional Conference

A few months before the 2012 election, our Mountain

Plains Regional Conference was held in Boulder, Colorado,

with a large emphasis on Amendment 64, the 2012 cam-

paign to regulate marijuana like alcohol. Students met

with Amendment 64 campaign directors and learned

about the campaign’s strategy, effective messaging, and

how students could get involved in the effort.

Boulder, Colorado

Oct 2012: Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference

More than 50 students gathered in Atlanta, Georgia for

the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference. this particular

conference had an inward focus; discussion was centered

around examining ourselves as an organization and a larger

movement, and how we all work together. topics discussed

included storytelling, drug education, prison overpopula-

tion, working for local change, fostering open discussions,

and staying involved in drug policy activism after college.

Atlanta, Georgia

Nov 2012: Midwest Regional Conference

this past November, more than sixty students gathered

at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, to discuss

our movement at large and how we could better work to

connect the dots within. topics discussed included building

coalitions within movements, lobbying for reform, diversi-

fying SSDP, the science of drugs and policy, campus drug

education, and chapter recruitment, fundraising, and

event planning.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Nov 2012: Florida/Southern Regional Conference

the 2012 Florida/Southeastern Regional Conference,

attended by more than 30 students focused mainly on

Florida’s newly enacted statewide Good Samaritan Policy

and syringe exchange in Florida, including panels and

discussions on Syringe Disposal in Miami and the Florida

Medical Association Syringe Exchange Resolution, Syringe

Exchange History and Current Status in Florida, and getting

the word out about the new Good Samaritan Policy. Other

topics discussed included social movement framing and

how to effectively work together to achieve change.

Tampa, Florida

Mark Your Calendar: 2014 International SSDP

Conference and Lobby Day

Date: Friday Sept 26 - Monday Sept 29, 2014

Location: Holiday Inn Rosslyn - Alexandria, VA

URL: ssdp.org/conference

April 2013: 1-Day Drug Policy Activism Training

Boot Camps

Our Spring Drug Policy Activism Boot Camp Series served

to unite the SSDP chapter network for a series of one day

training workshops, discussion, networking, and expert

presentations aimed to help our students refine their lead-

ership and organizing skills as advocates for ending the

destructive war on drugs. topics of discussion included

chapter fundraising, chapter management, effective com-

munication, and influencing policy change. Nearly 100

students from 25 schools attended one of our boot camps.

training materials from our sessions are available in the

resources section of our website.

Boston, Mass. - Chicago, Illinois - Portland, Oregon

AMPLIFY is a project of Students for Sensible Drug

Policy that connects student activists with artists who

support SSDP’s mission to reform drug policies. This

creates a mutually beneficial relationship between

SSDP and artists, where both parties help to promote

each other.

In the 2012-2013 school year, the AMPLIFY Project

experienced an unprecedented surge of growth and

support from musicians, students, and advocates

across the country. Students from more than 20

chapters engaged concert goers at more than 45

individual shows and 6 major US music festivals.

During concerts, students worked hard to provide

information related to starting an SSDP chapter,

supporting drug policy reform, evidence based drug

education materials, and providing on-site harm

reduction services to thousands of individuals. In

2012, AMPLIFY launched an aggressive social media

campaign to further engage our supporters, and

our volunteers reached over 105,000 individuals via

social media networks in the last year. Additional

success can be seen in the project by bringing multiple

new headlining artists into the activism fold including

Umphrey’s McGee, Big Gigantic, and EOtO. It’s safe

to say the AMPLIFY Project is stronger than ever,

and working hard to help SSDP spread the message

of reform across the US.

Partnered Artists:

Umphrey’s McGee

Slightly Stoopid

Big Gigantic

EOtO

Lotus

the Black Seeds

the Green

Ott.

Papadosio

Zoogma

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

Roots of Creation

the Motet

Rubblebucket

Yellow Dubmarine

Passafire

John Brown’s Body

Cas Haley

Antioquia

Jahman Brahman

IndigoSun

Cindercat

Mr. Lif

Erothyme

Sellassie

Signal Path

Octopus Nebula

Dr. Slothclaw

17 StUDENtS + ALUMNI

Students + Alumni

Mike Liszewski, Alumnus

University of the District

of Columbia

Mike also learned to be a

leader from SSDP. When

he was a law student and

SSDP activist, he was also

an intern in the city council

committee that worked on

implementing Washington,

DC’s medical marijuana

regulations. He went on to

become a member of our

Board of Directors and now

works as the Legislative

Director at Americans for

Safe Access.

Rachelle Yeung, Alumnus

University of Colorado

School of Law

Rachelle is part of our grow-

ing network of law school

chapters who was an inte-

gral part of the campaign

in Colorado this past fall.

She was recently hired as a

Legislative Analyst by the

Marijuana Policy Project.

Rebecca Saltzman, Alumnus

University of California,

Berkeley

Rebecca is an alumna of

SSDP and was recently

elected to the Board of

Directors for the Bay Area

Rapid transit System

(BARt).

Tom Angell, Alumnus

University of Rhode Island

tom has worked for or with

every major drug policy

organization in the United

States. He got his start with

SSDP. In fact, tom founded

RIPAC in his home state of

Rhode Island when he was

still a student chapter leader

and was a key part of pass-

ing the medical marijuana

law there. Since then, tom

has gone on to found a new

national organization, Mari-

juana Majority, but to this

day, our students in Rhode

Island carry on his work.

“I wouldn’t be a student senator, or have applied for a White House internship, without being a part of SSDP & recognizing my potential as a leader,” said Foster. “You can’t really learn to be a leader from a class.”

Alec Foster, summing up the power of our network in a

USA today story (“Would You Call for Help if Your Friend

Overdosed?”) on March 7, 2013.

Alumni

Alec Foster, Student at New York University

StUDENtS + ALUMNI 18

Administrative Assistant, 280E Reform

Managing Partner, 4Front Advisors

Vice President, adtV LLC

President and CEO, Algae Systems

Policy Director, Americans for Safe Access

Outreach and Events Coordinator, Americans for Safe Access

Education Reentry Special-ist, AmeriCorps

Nutrition Education Coordi-nator, AmeriCorps

CEO, the ArcView Group

Assistant Director, Arling-ton County Department of Health and Human Services

Outreach Counselor, At the Crossroads

Co-Founder, Baltimore Green Currency Association

Creative Director, Barbara Lee for Congress

BARt Board Director, Bay Area Rapid transit District

Chief Operating Officer, Berkeley Patients Group

Marketing Manager, Blue Shield of California

Paralegal, California Appellate Law Group

Government Affairs Manager, California League of Conservation Voters

Senior Campaigner, Change.org

Volunteer English teacher, Chilean Ministry of Education

Founder, Collective Agency

Research Assistant, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

Chief of Staff, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

General Manager, DP Dough

tour Guide, Farm Sanctuary

Owner, Green Herbalist

Ombudsman, Harborside Health Center

Lead Communications Spe-cialist, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Senior Agnostic Algorithma-tist, Inigral, Inc.

Director, Center for Social Responsibility, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Intern, Kevin Stephens Design Group

Media Relations Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Paralegal, Law Offices of James Anthony

Policy Director, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Criminal Defense Attorney, Leonard I. Frieling, PC

Legislative Analyst, Marijuana Policy Project

Clinical Research Assistant, Massachusetts General Hospital

Associate, Morrison & Foerster LLP

Policy Coordinator, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Executive Director, National Cannabis Coalition

teacher (4th grade), Phoenix Day School for the Deaf

President, Renewable Choice Energy

Associate Director, Sensible Colorado

Office Manager, Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Outreach Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Outreach Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Deputy Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Communications Coordina-tor, techFreedom

Criminal Defense Attorney, todd Foster Law Group

Associate Professor, thomas Jefferson School of Law

Political Science PhD Candidate, University of California – Los Angeles

teaching Assistant, University of California – Los Angeles

Constituent Development Coordinator, University of Idaho

Senior Associate, Vicente Sederberg, LLC

Presidential Personnel Intern, the White House

Policy assistant, World Food Programme

Where Our Alumni Work

Jurri, one of our star

chapter leaders, told us

that he got his first suit

and short haircut be-

cause he wanted to look

professional for an SSDP

lobby day.

Jurri Van den Hurk, Student at Virginia Commonwealth University

Far Left: Jurri with Ethan

Nadelmann of Drug

Policy Alliance, Left:

Jurri before joining SSDP

19 2013-2014 OBJECtIVES

Organizational Objectives July 2013 - July 2014

Movement Building

Expanding Our Reach: We will expand our network to more

than 200 chapters and 3,000 active members in the United

States. We will provide resources and support to our inter-

national chapter network.

Bringing People Together: Our staff will utilize professional

best practices in event planning, execution and evaluation.

We will continue to work with local chapters to host re-

gional conferences–each attended by an average of 50

participants–in 6 locations during the Spring 2014 semester.

Additionally, we will begin planning to host an international

conference and lobby day in the fall of 2014 in Washington

DC with 500 attendees.

Strengthening the Network: At least 250 students will

participate in at least one interactive skills building webinar.

Additionally, 250 students will receive one-on-one support

provided by our outreach staff.

Increasing Meaningful Youth Involvement: We will effec-

tively utilize our special consultative status with the United

Nations to ensure that the drug policy reform movement is

represented in General Assembly meetings and other re-

lated events. We will continue to facilitate active youth

participation at critical conferences and events, such as the

Drug Policy Alliance’s biennial Reform Conference.

Creating Safe Spaces + Fostering Diversity: We will create

a welcoming, open, and safe space for all stakeholders,

including those that stand in conflict on other issues, and

work to ensure that a wide range of perspectives are repre-

sented. We will actively seek out opportunities for collabo-

ration with other organizations, including non-drug policy

reform groups and those beyond our traditional allies. the

Outreach, Recruitment and Diversity Committee will cre-

ate and/or compile resources to assist chapters navigating

diversity issues on their campuses, which staff will make

accessible to chapters. We will also make every attempt to

ensure that SSDP-sponsored events, including conferences,

provide a non-threatening environment for all of our mem-

bers and potential members and strive to provide recogni-

tion of all lived experiences.

Relationship Building: We will also collaborate with groups

from across the political spectrum and non-drug policy

reform groups to spread our message of reform. Our staff

will take advantage of opportunities to network with allies.

Education + Advocacy

Engaging Our Supporters: We will actively engage our

supporter base through regular and carefully curated email

contact. All staff will be involved in the cycle of fundraising,

including asking for donations in person, involving donors,

and thanking them. We will seize compelling opportunities

to address audiences concerning drug policy reform and to

engage in public debates.

Amplifying Our Message: through a partnership between

SSDP and the music community (the AMPLIFY project),

SSDP students will reach out at concerts and music festi-

vals to recruit new supporters, provide on-site harm reduc-

tion, and spread message of drug policy reform.

Speaking Truth to Power: A majority of our chapters will

meet with an elected or appointed official concerning drug

policy reform. Our students will be invited to provide oral or

written testimony before local, state or federal legislative

committees at least 15 times.

Pushing the Policy Envelope: We will provide our member-

ship with timely opportunities to take action on state and

federal level legislation. through our online action center,

we will generate thousands of communications to govern-

ment officials. Our staff will publish and maintain data on

campus drug policies and Call 911 Good Samaritan policies

to serve as expert resources on these issues. We will men-

tor and guide our students through the leadership pipeline

and encourage them to volunteer or work for state-level

drug policy reform campaigns.

Saving Lives Through Harm Reduction: We will encourage

students to educate their communities and campuses

about harm reduction policies and services. twenty-five

percent of active chapters will work together with campus

and community officials towards changing or enacting

campus drug and alcohol policies, such as enacting Call 911

Good Samaritan policies.

Educating Students: We will provide students with a rich

menu of activities to undertake, including promoting harm

reduction/overdose prevention practices, teaching stu-

dents their constitutional rights, changing marijuana and

other drug prohibition policies to be more sensible and less

punitive, international drug policy, racial justice, civil rights,

human rights and providing evidence-based drug education.

2013-2014 OBJECtIVES 20

Highlighting Our Students + Their Work: the foundation,

our chapters, and students will be positively highlighted in

hundreds of media reports.

Executing Strategic Interventions: the national staff will

leverage high-level contacts within the White House and

Congress to assist with legislative strategy, bill drafting, and

opportunities for executive branch administrative action

when compelling opportunities for change arise.

Organizational Development

Bolstering Our Brand: We will present a strong, unified, and

professional brand to the public. Our website will remain

functional and content will be up to date. Our online pres-

ence will continue to grow, our Facebook likes will exceed

42,000. Our website will receive more than 145,000 unique

visitors and 315,000 pageviews. Additionally, our total You-

tube views will surpass 2 million, and twitter followers will

grow from 9,069 to over 12,000.

Growing Our Capacity: We will increase our email support-

ers from 194,716 to over 210,000. through our member-

ship program, we will enroll more than 33 new monthly

donors, resulting in at least $13,330 in total annual revenue.

Additionally, online donations will increase from $39,055

(non-conference income) in 2012, to more than $50,000,

through strategic fundraising drives including “back to

school” and “graduation.” Major individual and foundation

grants will increase 20% from $454,000 to $544,800. Each

of our student and non-student board members will raise at

least $1,000 per year. Board members will seek training in

fundraising fundamentals. Our foundation will receive major

donations for general operating support from two founda-

tion grantors who have never given to SSDP before. We

will aim to diversify our sources of funding so that no more

than one third of our funding comes from any single source.

through careful monitoring of data, we will optimize our

communication tactics to ensure more meaningful contact

with our supporters.

Empowering Young People: We will connect our students

and alumni with opportunities for professional develop-

ment, including employment with allied organizations. In an

effort to show SSDP’s broad reach, we will stay engaged

with our alumni and publicize a list of where they work.

Effective Management

Defining High-Quality Activists + Chapters: Overall, a

majority of our chapters will be high-quality, meaning the

chapter fulfills at least half of the following criteria: (1)

recruits at least five students each semester; (2) proactively

sends SSDP headquarters their chapter information, such

as rosters, at least twice per semester; (3) recruits and

trains at least two officers each semester; (4) hosts chapter

meetings at least once per month, including at least one

educational event per semester; (5) provides harm re-

duction training and information to their community; (6)

conducts tabling outreach at least once per semester; (7)

attends at least one SSDP national or regional event per

year; (8) maintains an online network (such as a Facebook

group) for the SSDP chapter; (9) effectively manages its

affairs through communication and delegation; and (10)

builds meaningful relationships with at least three other

campus organizations and/or administrators.

Managing to Change the World: We will be well managed.

the board of directors will hold itself accountable for car-

rying out their responsibilities. Staff will feel appreciated

and will be fairly compensated; salaries and benefits will be

competitive with organizations of similar size and scope.

Staff will be given regular and prompt feedback about their

performance, both regarding what they do well and where

they need to improve. Additionally, staff members perfor-

mance will be formally reviewed each quarter. Expectations

will be clearly set and understood and deadlines normally

met. Staff will proactively communicate and respond

promptly to the board. Staff will quantify organizational

accomplishments. Conflicting priorities will be addressed

and readjusted as needed. Staff will seek to improve their

professional abilities and proactively seek new opportuni-

ties for growth. SSDP’s supporter data will be up to date

on a weekly basis. We will provide a robust and meaningful

internship experience, by ensuring interns have ownership

over projects, regular feedback, and access to unique op-

portunities outside of the day-to-day functions of the orga-

nization. We will make every effort to capture and maintain

institutional knowledge.

Staying Sensible: Our organization will prioritize stability,

ensuring that when expansion does occur, it is managed

responsibly. Our staff will embody a culture of excellence

that emphasizes going above and beyond to reflect the fol-

lowing core values: efficiency, transparency, humility, opti-

mism, inclusiveness, light-heartedness, diligence, objectiv-

ity, and consistency.

One-time, recurring, and

membership donations are

processed through SSDP’s

website using your credit

card information.

One-time donations can be

made in any amount.

Recurring donations can be

made in any amount & any

frequency interval (weekly,

monthly, quarterly, yearly).

Membership donations

have fixed amounts & fre-

quency intervals: Sensible

Supporters donate $5.00

per month, Sensible Sus-

tainers donate $10 per

month, Sensible Sponsors

donate $25 per month,

Sensible Superstars donate

$100 per month. Members

of this program will receive

donation premium items

associated with their

membership level.

Facebook Causes allows

you to make one-time and

recurring donations. If you

have ever used Facebook

Causes to make a donation

before, it will allow you to

use your saved credit card

information to quickly do-

nate while logged in. this is

the only method that allows

for anonymous donations.

the processing fee that we

incur is slightly higher than

the processing fee for do-

nating through our website.

PayPal is a trusted name

in payment processing and

many people feel most

comfortable using their

secure system (Note: dona-

tions through our website

are also secure). If you have

used PayPal in the past,

your payment information

will be saved so that you

would not need to enter it

again when making your

donation to us. the pro-

cessing fee that we incur

is slightly higher than the

processing fee for donating

through our website.

Donations via check can

only be received by mail to

1317 F Street NW, Suite 501

Washington, DC 20004.

this is the only method for

which we do not incur any

processing fees.

Donations via phone are

processed using your credit

card information through

the same system that we

use to take online dona-

tions. Call 202-393-5280 to

make a donation via phone.

+

Donate

21 WAYS tO DONAtE

Ways to Donate

Via Phone

Online

Through Our Website

Via Facebook Via PayPal

Check

One-time

Donation

Sensible

Membership

Recurring

Donation

FINANCIAL INFORMAtION 22

Financial Statements

Annual Income 2005 to 2012

2012 Earnings 2012 Spending

26.2% Individual Contributions

6.1% Conferences & Events

63.9% Grants

3.8% Other

$412,489 $487,388

50.7% Salary, 8% Event +

Conference, 9.5% Miscellaneous,

6.3% Travel & Ent, 6.1% Pass

Thru, 6% Insurance, 4.7% Payroll

Taxes, 4.5% Rent, 2.2% Profes-

sional Fees, 2% Scholarship

American Civil Liberties Union

American College of Emergency Physicians (individual delegates)

AmfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research

Americans for Safe Access

Americans for tax Reform

ArcView Group

California Medical Association (delegates)

Campaign for America’s Future

Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

Caravan for Peace

Center for American Progress

CAtO Institute

Center for Progressive Leadership

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform

Congressional Sensible Drug Policy Working Group

Cops Opposing Prohibition

Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

Drug Policy Alliance

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Face AIDS

Families Against Mandatory Minimums

Flex Your Rights

Innocence Project

Institute for Humane Studies

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Liberty Coalition

the Management Center

Marijuana Majority

Marijuana Policy Project

Moms for Marijuana

Multidisciplinary Associa-tion for Psychedelic Studies

National Advocates for Pregnant Women

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

National Cannabis Industry Association

National Cannabis Coalition

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Open Society Foundations

Protect Families First

Reason Magazine

SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation)

Sensible Colorado

Students For Liberty

the Constitution Project

United Food and Commercial Workers

United Nations General Assembly Economic and Social Council

Vienna NGO Committee

YouthRISE

Earnings

$600,000

$500,000

$400,000

$300,000

$200,000

$100,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

$205,921

$319,631

$410,005

$516,806

$197,201

$273,216

$350,385

$412,489

Partners + Allies

1317 F Street NW, Suite 501

Washington, DC 20004

ssdp@ssdp.org

(202) 393-5280

SchoolsNotPrisons.org

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Designed by Saul Fougnier