On Friday, Sept. 13, the University’s wide array of student-run organizations was put on display at the annual Student Activities Fair. One such organization, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), has come back to life this year after years of inactivity.
SSDP co-president Andrew Olson ’16 commented on the group’s on-and-off nature.
“Students for a Sensible Drug Policy has been coming in and out of existence here at Wesleyan for a while,” Olson said. “I think a lot of people here care about these issues, but because these issues are not in everybody’s daily lives, people tend to forget about what’s outside of Wesleyan’s bubble.”
SSDP is a national organization with many local chapters, and it gave the University an A grade for having a Good Samaritan policy and a lenient medical amnesty policy.
“The medical amnesty policy doesn’t explicitly guarantee immunity, but does state that leniency will be given, that the focus is on keeping everyone safe, and that in most cases students will not be in trouble for seeking help,” reads the SSDP’s page on Wesleyan’s rating.
Despite the University’s positive score, Olson believes drug policies can be improved.
“Just because things are good here doesn’t mean they can’t be great,” Olson said. “There’s a lot of potential for reform on campus policy, especially on alcohol. We can do a better job of letting people know what their rights are.”
Olson criticized AlcoholEdu, the mandatory test that incoming students take during orientation.
“As far as AlcoholEdu goes, I didn’t think it was very effective,” Olson said. “I do believe something should be there, but maybe we could come up with a better alternative for the orientation process. When it seems almost purposely frustrating I definitely agree there’s something we can change.”
On a national scale, SSDP has successfully fought for legislative drug reform. Most recently, the group succeeded in pushing the U.S. Congress to get rid of a provision in the Higher Education Act that caused students to lose financial aid for drug-related incidents outside of school.
“It’s important for Wesleyan to be part of this momentum and fight for national issues,” Olson said. “It’s important that we emphasize national and state campaigns. There are things we can do here in Middletown, as well.”
The re-emergence of SSDP at the University in 2013 isn’t coincidental, but rather a result of the recent legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington.
“There’s a lot of renewed conversation on the national and international scale on drug liberalization, partly because of the wins coming from Colorado and Washington,” Olson said. “Basically, the war on drugs has been a total failure. We need to learn more about drugs and their benefits, but we can’t if the government won’t let us.”
SSDP co-president Winnie Yung ’15 expanded on the mission of the University’s chapter.
“It’s our goal to provide more education on all kinds of drugs, not just marijuana and alcohol,” Yung said. “We need to push the conversation on legalization.”
Joseph Natter ’17 was compelled by SSDP’s mission when he spoke to group representatives during the Student Activities Fair.
“All drugs aren’t completely harmful,” Natter said. “Some are beneficial and useful. We have to change our community and our country in regards to its treatment, policies, and behavior regarding drug usage.”
Olson plans to translate SSDP’s mission into action in number of ways.
“We need to make Wesleyan students aware of the SSDP’s mission,” said Olson. “This can be accomplished with publicity, screening documentaries, and educational films on drug policies, as well as bringing in panels and speakers.”
SSDP is involved not only with drug policy reform and legalization, but also with other drug-related issues.
“It’s important to open the conversation to other topics,” said Olson. “The United States has the highest per capita incarceration rate, and a lot of people are in prison because of drug laws. I’d be interested in bringing speakers to talk about prison reform.”
According to Olson, in order for the SSDP to be effective, it needs strong membership. It is an organization that thrives not on leadership but on active participation.
“We’re not just a group to talk about things, but a group that gets things done,” said Olson. “With more people interested, we can do so many different things. I’m ready to lead, but I am also ready to follow. It’s a horizontal movement; all are welcome.”