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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Design our next t-shirt!

WVU SSDP is making a new shirt and we want YOU to design it!

Prizes:

• Get a FREE shirt if we pick your design
• Get a shirt for half price if your design makes it to the final round

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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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California’s Prop 19 fails, but the fight to legalize marijuana will go on

By Jeremiah Yates

Published: Thursday, November 4, 2010

Updated: Thursday, November 4, 2010 22:11

Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use in California failed Nov. 2, despite support from interest groups around the country.

Proposition 19 would have allowed California residents to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate their own crops in a garden up to 25 square feet.

With 54 percent of the voters denying the legislation, it is clear that people just aren’t ready for such a change in the way they view marijuana. But why?

A report of a death caused only by marijuana cannot be found in the U. S. Still, the general view of marijuana is that it is harmful and prohibition should continue.

In an article on CNN.com, Harvard economist Jeffrey A. Miron believes that Prop 19 should have passed, but the organizers emphasized too much on the change it would bring to America.

“Many voters sensed that Prop 19 supporters were overreaching, and this made them suspicious of all the arguments in its favor. Common sense should have recognized that since marijuana was close to legal already, Prop 19 would not have had dramatic effects.”

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Student focus group on proposed wvu smoking ban

The smoking ban task force wants your input on the proposed campus-wide smoking ban at WVU.

They are hosting a student focus group to hear how students will be impacted by the university’s policy change.
A campus-wide ban is a major policy change that will impact nearly 30,000 West Virginia University students, smokers and nonsmokers alike. These focus groups are an incredible opportunity for us to speak up and help create the policy that best fits us as a student body.
Each focus group will consist of 12-15 students, with a representative sample of male, and female, on campus and off, smoker and non.

Location: Lincoln Hall Theater, Evansdale campus (right next to Towers)

Time 1: Thursday, November 11 (7:00 – 8:50pm)

Time 2: Monday, November 15 (7:00 – 8:50pm)

Sign up here:

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Activists love/hate Stewart rally

Activists had mixed reactions to Jon Stewart’s message on the National Mall

By Ambreen Ali

Activists had a love-hate relationship with the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert rally that brought tens of thousands to

the National Mall on Saturday.

Even as they passed out stickers and petitions for legalizing marijuana, giving D.C. statehood,

keeping abortion legal, making birth control free, ending the war, and addressing climate change, some felt offended by the comedians’ mockery of traditional activism.

Others laughed along and suggested that rallies have become an arcane tactic given technological advances.

Stewart kicked off the three-hour event with a joke about rallies, saying they are not judged by the coherence of their message or the level of engagement.

“No, it’s colors and signs,” he said.

Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of the antiwar group Code Pink, didn’t laugh with the crowd. She said protests are a hallowed tradition that have helped end wars and give minorities and women rights.

“These are things to celebrate and not belittle,” Benjamin said, calling Saturday’s event “a tribute to slacktivism.”

Code Pink activists were still among the group, estimated to be 250,000 by Comedy Central reps. Benjamin said her group will attend any big gathering, but she questioned whether Saturday’s crowd included people who want to be politically engaged.

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The Daily Athenaeum – Smoking Task Force Hears From Univ. Research Group

“If you’re going to change the policy, you have to reach out to people who will be affected.”

Wilson said the smoking task force will meet next March 4.

“I expect that we’re going to have another presentation by some individuals that will further clarify some of the issues we’re trying to talk about,” Wilson said.

The task force hopes to have focus groups to gather student and faculty input but is unsure when this will happen, Wilson said.

“It’s clear that we’re in the early stages, so we’re probably going to have a few more of these kinds of sessions,” he said.”

via The Daily Athenaeum – Smoking task force hears from Univ. research group.

Vote for the PIRATE Party for WVU SGA!

Taken from their website…

“The PIRATE Party is committed to reform and opportunity. Reform in the sense that the structure of SGA needs to be changed in order for it to be effective in representing and advocating student issues. Opportunity in the sense that SGA must extend opportunity for every student to be involved and to excel. Together, we can revolutionize how student government operates. This pivotal election will determine how SGA will function for years to come. It is time to open the doors of opportunity and let new ideas in!”

Read more @ http://www.pirates2010.com/

SURVEY: Do You Support a Campus-wide Smoking Ban at WVU?

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A Good Samaritan Policy at WVU

As we all know, WVU has always maintained an infamous reputation as a “party school,” annually topping the Princeton Review’s list of the top ten party schools in the nation. But this ‘enthusiasm’ can often put students in a dangerous position. Students in need of medical attention due to alcohol or other drug use can face harsh disciplinary actions from the University if their incident is reported. As a result fearful students often forgo necessary medical treatment for themselves or friends, sometimes with deadly consequences.

The introduction of a Good Samaritan Policy (GSP) at WVU would change university policy so that students in need of medical assistance because of alcohol or other drug use, and those attempting to assist, would receive amnesty against disciplinary University sanctions. These sanctions would be replaced with educational or rehabilitation services. The adoption of a GSP at WVU would further encourage a partnership between the university and its students as well as promote personal responsibility and educational attitudes about alcohol and drug use.