Guess who's coming to the conference? Vol. 4

by David Hewson

Before I get to the profiles, a quick conference update:

1. We've set up the channel that we'll be using to livestream the conference. Not much going on there just yet ('cept occasionally some weird dude giving the double thumbs up), but please share the address with anyone who can't make the conference.

2. To: 

A) involve everyone who can't make the event, and 

B) create a conversation backchannel for everyone who can, 

we'll be using Twitter and tweeting with the #cssdp12 hash tag. There are things going on there already, so check it out, and see who's getting ready for the event.

Now that that's out of the way - attendee profiles! Today's bunch includes a veteran board member, and two more conference first-timers. If you missed the profiles we've posted so far, here are Volumes One, Two and Three.

As always - if you haven't already filled out our survey, please do! We'll post your profiles on the blog, like we did with these ones.

Here's the link:

http://dwhewson.wufoo.com/forms/tell-us-about-yourself/

Enjoy!

Lorraine Schembri

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in) 

Simon Fraser University, CSSDP Board of Directors

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended? 

Vancouver 2009, Toronto 2010

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?

How did they come about? 

Just a hunch I've always had that something was wrong. This feeling was then completely validated during a 3 hour War On Drugs (whats wrong with it) lecture in a Psychopharmacology class in 2008.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference? 

I'd like to be inspired with new chapter and board endeavours to move away from tough-on-drug-use mentality.

Anything else to add? 

Can't wait to see old friends and meet new ones and move toward progress, not prisons!

Do you have some way for people to follow/get in touch with you before the conference? 

Yes. CSSDP SFU has a Facebook page.

Jess

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in)

Y.E.A.H. Planned Parenthood

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended? 

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?

How did they come about? 

Doing harm reduction from previous years, this interests me in taking a stronger approach to drug users, and also to get involved politicly.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference? 

Learning more about the drug policies that are in current affect, knowing what we can do now and in the future to benefit us, as well as people coming to us for help.

Anything else to add? 

I might have to bring my 5 1/2 month baby, I have some family in Calgary, but I know some are sick, I am sorry for the inconvience. I am single mom and dont have much choice. 

Dan Werb

Twitter: @prfssrfeelings

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in) 

International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP.org)

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended? 

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?

How did they come about? 

I worked as a Research Fellow for the Paris-based Senlis Council in 2005 (now the International Council on Security and Development).

What do you want to accomplish at this conference? 

Present materials that will hopefully allow interested drug policy advocates to duplicate our efforts in BC cannabis policy reform in other jurisdictions.

Anything else to add? 

Present materials that will hopefully allow interested drug policy advocates to duplicate our efforts in BC cannabis policy reform in other jurisdictions.

Do you have some way for people to follow/get in touch with you before the conference? 

Yes - Twitter.

Guess who's coming to the conference? Vol. 3

by David Hewson

Responses to our survey have been flowing in, and they've been fantastic! Each response provides a unique look at one of our attendees, their background and what they're hoping to do at the conference - so thanks to everyone who's participated so far. In case you're haven't seen the other attendee profiles yet, here's Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

If you haven't already filled out our survey, please do! We'll post your profiles on the blog, like we did with these ones.

Here's the link:

http://dwhewson.wufoo.com/forms/tell-us-about-yourself/

Enjoy!

Michaela Montaner

Twitter: @mmontaner

Speaker - "Coalition Building" workshop (Sunday, March 4)

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in) 

International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP.org)

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended? 
First time! 

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?
How did they come about? 
I've supported reform for as long as I can remember! My dad is an HIV/AIDS researcher so as a kid I already had a good sense that Canadian drug policy wasn't protecting community health and safety. That said, it was probably when the Harper Conservatives started undermining Vancouver's supervised injection site that I became motivated to apply my experience as an organizer/communicator and actually do something about it. 

What do you want to accomplish at this conference? 
I want to talk with smart, passionate people about how we can work together with one another and our respective communities to help Canada adopt a public health approach to regulating illicit drugs. 

Anything else to add? 
I love CSSDP. 

Canada needs more community-driven organizations to recognize how their constituents are being adversely affected by Canadian drug policy and to do something about it. I can only imagine how much further along this movement would be if all communities had a CSSDP equivalent facilitating the action and education CSSDP does among students. Keep up the great work. 

Do you have some way for people to follow/get in touch with you before the conference? 
Yes - Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.


Ben Mossbarger
Twitter: @MossberryJam

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in) 
University of Toronto, CSSDP Board of Directors

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended? 
Toronto 2010 

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?
How did they come about? 
Moving from Victoria, BC to Houston, Texas was a huge culture shock. The entire political climate of Texas was troubling to me, in particular their attitudes towards substance use. When I started undergrad in the US, I immediately gravitated towards my university's chapter of SSDP. 

What do you want to accomplish at this conference? 
I want to meet all the awesome people who make CSSDP as great as it is! I've been on the board of directors for a little over a year now, and it'll be great to get back in touch with the organization I'm working to keep moving. 

Do you have some way for people to follow/get in touch with you before the conference?
Yes - Facebook & Twitter.


Heiko Decosas
Twitter: @stillhope_media

Speaker - "Create your own media" workshop (Sunday, March 4)

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in) 

Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (drugpolicy.ca)

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?
First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?
How did they come about?
Spectrum of use diagram and Bruce Alexander's Globalization of Addiction analysis...

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?
Network for a unified national response to drug policy reform.

Anything else to add?
Thanks for the work you do:)

Do you have some way for people to follow/get in touch with you before the conference?
Yes - Twitter.

Guess who's coming to the conference? Vol. 2

by David Hewson

It's time for Round 2 of conference attendee profiles! (Here's Round 1, in case you missed it.) In this edition, we've got the full spectrum - a speaker from our Harm Reduction panel, a CSSDP chapter member, and complete first-timer.

If you haven't already filled out our survey, please do! We'll post your profiles on the blog, like we did with these ones.

Here's the link:
http://dwhewson.wufoo.com/forms/tell-us-about-yourself/

Here we go...


Jennifer Vanderschaeghe 

Twitter: @CAANSRedDeer



Speaker – Harm Reduction Panel (Saturday, March 3)

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in):

Central Alberta AIDS Network Society (CAANS)

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?

Not that I know of.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?

Networking and learning


Ryland Steel


CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in):

Queen's University

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?
How did they come about? 

Over the course of a year I became incresingly aware of the urgency in drug policy reform. University level education was juxtaposed to my biased upbringing on the harms of drugs and led the way for alternative thinking. Understanding that in some cases the purported harms had been inflated for effect, and that in other cases those harms would be better addressed by health policy versus criminal justice policy, I made conclusions that envisaged a denouncement of drug prohibition.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?

I would like to coordinate with others of like mind on this issue of drug prohibition and discuss both short and long term plans for rectifying decades worth of failed policy. Additionally, I would like to learn more through an interactive experience disparate from the manner in which I have thus far self-educated on the issue.

Anything else to add?

I have never been to a conference like this before and so having the opportunity would be a great joy to me considering all that it has to offer.


Dex Dunford

Twitter: @SofaProfessor

SofaProfessor.com



CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in):

Sofa Professing

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?
How did they come about?

It's just unjust and a waste of valuable time, money, resources and people to blindly fight a war against drugs like this.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?

Learn some stuff.

Anything else to add?

No bacon on the salad.

Guess who's coming to the conference? Vol. 1

by David Hewson

Our annual conference is the one weekend each year that Canadians interested in drug policy are all in the same place. It's a huge country and bringing everyone together is expensive, so we want to make the most of this opportunity. 

To do this, we created a short (5-10min) survey with a few key questions. We then asked some of the first people who registered for the conference to fill it out, and we'll show you their responses below.

Our goal:

- get you thinking about what you want to accomplish at this conference.

- start getting everyone familiar with each other, so that when conference time rolls around we can hit the ground running.

- give us (the conference planners) ideas and feedback on what you're expecting, so we can make this the best conference we can.

Our speakers are particularly interested to know where you're coming from, so if you have questions or ideas for them, put them in the comments. And feel free to get in touch with anyone who's given their contact information.

If you haven't already filled out the survey, please do! We'll post your entries on the blog, like we did with these ones.

Here's the link:

http://dwhewson.wufoo.com/forms/tell-us-about-yourself/

Now that's out of the way, I'd like to introduce our first three contestants. I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I did.

Tyler Chartrand

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in):

Okanagan College, Kelowna, BC

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform? 

How did they come about? 

Bill S10 of 2010 is the reason I got involved. I use Cannabis recreationally and took S10 as a personal assault to me as a citizen/student.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?

Network with like minded individuals/groups to further a growing respectful dialogue of drug policy and the need to move from prohibition to legal regulation. The goal being to have drug policy as a key platform in the next federal election.

Scott Bernstein

Twitter: @redcedarlaw

Speaker – Harm Reduction Panel (Saturday, March 3)

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in):

Pivot Legal Society

http://www.pivotlegal.org/

Twitter: @pivotlegal

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?

How did they come about? 

Yes - I worked on the Insite case as a law student and then as a lawyer at all levels of court. I saw the harms associated with the government's anti-evidence approach to drug policy. I decided to dedicate my career to drug policy reform. Being at the Supreme Court of Canada as a new lawyer was a life-changing experience for me.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?

Meet some interesting people, learn some things, have a good time.

Anything else to add?

Very happy to be at the conference and honoured to be asked to speak on the harm-reduction panel.

Tera

CSSDP chapter (or other organization you're involved in):

None

Which CSSDP conferences have you attended?

First time!

Were there any tipping points, or "A-ha!!" moments that got you into drug policy reform?

How did they come about? 

I've always been into drug policy reform, but I got a lot more interested when I began working with youth in the criminal justice system and realized how many youth are sent to prison on drug-related crimes.

What do you want to accomplish at this conference?

I know drug policies need to change, but I don't fully understand what changes are realistic. I want to learn more about how drug policies could be be reformed and what I can do to advocate for change.

Anything else to add?

I'm super excited.