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1
2012-2013 Report
Students for SensibleDrug Policy
36789
1315161718192122
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
(202) 393-5280
SchoolsNotPrisons.org
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Designed by Saul Fougnier