Willamette Valley NORML > Orgs > Students for a Sensible Drug Policy at the University of Oregon (SSDP-UO)

Oregon Students For Sensible Drug Policy Vote To Endorse the I-24 Campaign To End Marijuana Prohibition In Oregon

Today I attended the first ever Cannabis Law Reform Conference at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. The pro-marijuana conference was hosted by the six Oregon chapters of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). According to to the conference Facebook page, “Oregon SSDP is a network of hundreds of students from Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, Western Oregon University, Portland State University, University of Oregon, and Lewis & Clark Law School, with more chapters in the works.” SSDP State Coordinator Sam Chapman, who I can say first hand is a very hardworking marijuana activist, stated the inspiration behind the conference on the SSDP blog, “Through the 2012 Cannabis Law Reform Conference, we hope to inspire unity of purpose and coordination among the various competing marijuana legalization initiatives in Oregon.”

“Today’s youth are tired of being prosecuted by draconian drug laws that are blatantly discriminating based on age, class, and race.” says Chapman. “We are tired of getting arrested, losing scholarships, and losing our futures over a relatively harmless substance, one that contributes far less mental, physical and social harm than alcohol.”   Read more >>

If you can't attend the conference here are the live-streaming links. In a few weeks, an edited video will be archived, and SSDP-Oregon will get the link out for that as soon as it comes available. Here is a link for the 2012 Oregon SSDP Cannabis Law Reform Conference: Introduction, Remarks by Steve DeAngelo, Debate, Closing Remarks recording for Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 1:00 PM PST: http://lawmedia.lclark.edu/LawMedia/Viewer/?peid=ea395397e7144e108c60ca155e62ba071d

Here is a link for the 2012 Oregon SSDP Cannabis Law Reform Conference: Ideal Regulated Supply System in Oregon recording for Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 3:00 PM PST: http://lawmedia.lclark.edu/LawMedia/Viewer/?peid=39e2f7e4c9c9473fab0b749264335bfb1d Here is a link for the 2012 Oregon SSDP Cannabis Law Reform Conference: The Future of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Policy recording for Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 3:00 PM PST: http://lawmedia.lclark.edu/LawMedia/Viewer/?peid=6c12910e5eb24e519fa94ffc7876afb51d

* Students say, “Put marijuana legalization on the ballot in 2012!” * Oregon’s Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapters seek unity in the legalization movement by hosting a conference to rally behind a single marijuana legalization initiative. The conference will be held on Saturday, February 25th, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm, at Lewis & Clark Law School, in Portland, OR. * Will 2012 be the year Oregon finally votes to legalize marijuana? “Only if we work together,” declare Oregon’s united chapters of Students forSensible Drug Policy (SSDP). In order to propel the Oregon marijuana legalization movement forward, Oregon’s SSDP chapters have come together to host a ‘2012 Cannabis Law Reform Conference,’ on February 25, at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, OR.

“Through the 2012 Cannabis Law Reform Conference, we hope to inspire unity of purpose and coordination among the various competing marijuana legalization initiatives in Oregon,” says SSDP State Coordinator Sam Chapman. Currently, Oregon has three initiative campaigns competing for signatures, fundraising, and volunteers, all hoping to qualify for the November ballot; the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA), Sensible OR, and Measure I-24, also known as the Oregon Marijuana Policy Initiative (OMPI). Unfortunately, not one of these campaigns is close to the required amount of signatures necessary to get marijuana legalization on the ballot by the July deadline. With only six months remaining, Oregon’s SSDP chapters will express the growing need for cooperation among these competing campaigns.

“This conference is not going to be about finger-pointing and past failures, but hand-shaking and the future successes,” says Chapman. “It’s time to move forward together, and take the necessary steps to give Oregonians the chance to vote on this issue in November.” During the conference, Oregon SSDP will put on a neutral, non-confrontational debate between the initiatives, in order to educate the public and Oregon’s SSDP members about the different aspects of each campaign.

“Today’s youth are tired of being prosecuted by draconian drug laws that are blatantly discriminating based on age, class, and race.” says Chapman. “We are tired of getting arrested, losing scholarships, and losing our futures over a relatively harmless substance, one that contributes far less mental, physical and social harm than alcohol.” Oregon SSDP is a network of hundreds of students from Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, Western Oregon University, Portland State University, University of Oregon, and Lewis & Clark Law School, with more chapters in the works. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process by pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth. CONTACT(s): Sam Chapman, SSDP State Coordinator, (503)-396-9062 -- ssdpduck@gmail.com * Bradley Steinman, L&C Law SSDP, (847)-917-9673 -- Bradley@Law420.com

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities, but who also know that the War on Drugs is failing our generation and our society. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.