Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK is a national grassroots network of students and youth campaigning for evidence-based, humane and compassionate drug policies.
Viv Ahmun, the former CEO of In-Volve speaks at SSDP London's event - No Justice, No Peace: Drugs, Race and Growing Up on the 20th October. Thanks to KnowDrugs for filming.
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Vincente Fox, the former President of Mexico (2001-2006) has told the BBC that he holds the United States responsible for the drug-violence in his country.
Manchester SSDP activist and blues musician Tyler Hatwell takes us on a journey through some of his favourite cannabis music.
Musicians take drugs, not all musicians obviously, but the good ones. The link between musician and drug is a relatively strong one (as Bill Hicks put it; "the musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years were real fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few tunes.").
Not only does it often act as a large influence but also, occasionally, the artist deems it necessary to write a song celebrating their love of the drug. Here I have compiled my favourite songs celebrating the usage of cannabis, and as an added bonus not one of them is by Snoop Dogg.
King of Chicago Blues and all round cool guy Muddy Waters with Champagne and Reefer
Scat-singing Goddess of Swing Ella Fitzgerald with When I get low I get high
Dancehall legend Barrington Levy with Under mi sensi
Singjay Jamaican Reggae-master Eek-A-Mouse with Ganja Smuggling
Ultimate hipster icon (if Andy Warhol is busy) Bob Dylan with Rainy Day Woman
Psychedelic sixties songstress Janis Joplin with Mary Jane
Zoot-suit wearing 30's jazz troubadour Cab Calloway with The Reefer Man
And if we haven't convinced you that songs about cannabis can be cool, we can at least convince you that some anti-cannabis songs are not. Take it away Ringo...
Tyler Hatwell is the co-host of the weekly funk, soul and blues radio show - The Mess Around.
Follow SSDP on Facebook and Twitter. If you are interested in writing for the SSDP blog, please get in touch. Check out Tune-In, our music outreach project.
