As efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use are underway in Sacramento and possibly on the ballot, a large gathering of student activists from across the country will convene in SF this weekend. This Is Your Brain On Drug Policy, a conference organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), will take place from March 12 through 14th with former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano in attendance.

"California ranks 2nd highest in incarceration expenditures but ranks 48th in funding for education and due to a dearth of treatment programs; the state has one of the highest recidivism rates and the highest overall spending on incarceration," explains Matthew Palevsky of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). "Governor Schwarzenegger knows these facts as well as anyone and has called for a significant inmate reduction. To save money, and to save lives, California will need to seriously reform its drug policies and take a new approach to reducing the harms caused by drug abuse."