AlterNet: The Future of Drug Reform Is Bright

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Fred Gardner

The Future of Drug Reform Is Bright
The Students for a Sensible Drug Policy conference in San Francisco was a major demonstration of youthful, activist energy to change the drug paradigm.

March 22, 2010 |


In mid-March, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy organized a conference attended by 470 campus activists in San Francisco to network, strategize, party and share updates on the War on Drugs and the widening range of youth resistance efforts.

SSDP was founded in 1998 in response to a provision in the Higher Education Act that cut off loans and grants to students with drug convictions--even misdemeanors dating back to high school. Some 200,000 students have lost their financial aid in the years since. In 2007 SSDP pushed Congress to limit the Act's applicability to students whose convictions occurred after they sought financial aid.

"Now our effort," says SSDP acting executive director Matt Palevsky, "is to limit the Act to students convicted of felonies."

SSDP now has chapters on almost 200 campuses and is receiving 40 inquiries a month from students interested in starting chapters at their schools. There are 10 overseas chapters and this year's conference --which was billed as "international"--included speakers from the UK, Canada, Nigeria, Colombia and the Mexican border (El Paso, Texas). A satellite meeting held simultaneously in Lagos, Nigeria, drew 70 students from universities, teachers' colleges and high schools. (A planned video feed of select panels from S.F. was canceled due to technical problems.) ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/drugs/146115/the_future_of_drug_reform_is_bright