Midwest Conference 2010 at Kent State University

Midwestern Inspiration

On November 13, I and eight other students from WVU’s Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) chapter attended the 2010 SSDP Midwest Regional Conference, held at Kent State University. We packed up and set out on the three hour trip to the infamous campus, where in 1970, four college students were shot and killed by the National Guard while protesting the United States’ presence in Vietnam.

The gravity of that situation is echoed today by the voices of those opposing the status quo.  Drug policy reform is a necessary change in American society, and a change that will not come without struggle.  Taking part in these SSDP conferences allows students from all over the nation to come together, share ideas, and build the strong activist networks that we need if we want to truly make a difference.

SSDP is a grassroots network of students that are concerned about the way the current drug policy is failing our nation.  We neither condemn nor condone drug use.  Our aim is to end the destructive “War on Drugs”.  We realize that drug abuse is a very real and very serious problem.  That being said, punishment and discrimination only make that problem worse.  By participating in the political process, proposing legislation and pushing for sensible policies, we hope to change counterproductive drug policies that are directly harming students and youth.

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Kent State students discuss sensible drug policies

Written by Ryan Young
Sunday, 14 November 2010 18:30

Rated third in the United States by High Times as one of the top colleges for marijuana activists, Kent State lived up to this distinction by hosting the Students for Sensible Drug Policy 2010 Midwest conference this weekend.

The student organization meets weekly to discuss current issues facing students related to drug use. One policy SSDP is responsible for is the Good Samaritan rule.

“If a student overdoses on campus, the student won’t be charged with a crime, but instead given the care they require,” SSDP president Chris Wallis said. “It’s a three strike thing…three incidents and you’re out.”

This policy, as well as the legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio were among the most discussed topics at this year’s conference.

“Some people think I’m plain out nuts,” said Gary Yuko, Ohio House Representative and keynote speaker for the conference. “We need to change that.”

Yuko has campaigned tirelessly for medical marijuana, although he said he has never used it despite his multiple sclerosis.

Yuko told of a letter he received from an elderly man who had cancer and pains associated with chemotherapy that drove him to tears most days. That was until he discovered medical marijuana.

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