Cigarette Taxes and Regulations Continue To Fuel a Thriving Black Market
Burdensome taxes and red tape produce the same results as outright prohibitions.
Black Markets
Florida Drug Deaths Rose Dramatically as Pam Bondi Did Her 'Incredible Job' of Reducing Them
The attorney general nominee's record as a drug warrior epitomizes the predictably perverse consequences of prohibition.
Drug Deaths Are Finally Declining. Nobody Really Knows Why.
One thing seems clear: Drug warriors do not deserve credit for the turnaround, although they deserve blame for the previous explosion in fatal overdoses.
Trump Repeats an 'Urban Legend' by Invoking 'Fentanyl Laced Marijuana'
At least he draws the right conclusion from this imaginary hazard, acknowledging the dangers created by prohibition.
No, Politicians Can't 'Fix' Prices—and That's OK
Price controls lead to the misallocation of resources, shortages, diminished product quality, and black markets.
Government Data Refute the Notion That Overprescribing Caused the 'Opioid Crisis'
The CDC’s numbers show that pain treatment is not responsible for escalating drug-related deaths.
Drug Dealers Did Not Kill Cecilia Gentili. Prohibition Did.
If drug warriors really wanted to punish "those responsible" for the transgender activist's death, they would start by arresting themselves.
E.U. Regulations Created a Port Wine Black Market
Over 1,500 types of wine are protected by European Union regulations.
Political Stupidity and Bureaucratic Bungling Created New York's Pot Legalization 'Disaster'
Three years after the state legalized recreational marijuana, unauthorized weed shops outnumber licensed dispensaries by 23 to 1.
Expanding the Drug War To Include Tobacco Would Be a Big Mistake
The judicially approved Brookline ban reflects a broader trend among progressives who should know better.
Oregon Legislators Overwhelmingly Vote To Recriminalize Low-Level Drug Possession
The reversal of a landmark reform was driven by unrealistic expectations and unproven assertions.
Did Decriminalization Boost Drug Deaths in Oregon?
Recent research finds "no evidence" that it did, undermining a key claim by critics of that policy.
A New Pain Medication Could Reinforce the Disastrous Crackdown on Prescription Opioids
When the government is systematically interfering with medical decisions, a non-opioid alternative may not actually increase treatment options.
'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
Ohio Republicans Drop Last-Minute Effort To Derail Voter-Approved Pot Legalization
As of today, adults 21 or older in the Buckeye State may possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to six plants at home.
OxyContin's Reformulation Linked to Rising Suicides by Children
The study is one of several documenting the perverse impact of an intervention aimed at reducing substance abuse.
The New York Times Credulously Embraces the 'Super Meth' Theory
There is no solid evidence that P2P meth is more dangerous than pseudoephedrine-derived meth and no reason to think it would be.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Nixes Psychedelic Decriminalization and Cannabis Cafés
Newsom vetoed both reforms, which he deemed excessively permissive.
Ban Teenagers From Social Media, Vivek Ramaswamy Says, Because Fentanyl
The Republican presidential candidate ignores the lethal impact of the drug policies he avidly supports.
Oregon's Drug Problems Were Not Caused by Decriminalization
Prohibition is at the root of the hazards that have led to record numbers of opioid-related deaths.
Did Drug Decriminalization Cause a 'Catastrophe' in Oregon?
Many of the problems the state is experiencing are caused by the continuing impact of prohibition.
The Democratic Governor Who Wants Drug Legalization and Free Markets
"Government in general does a lot of things that aren't necessary," says Jared Polis.
Methanol-Tainted Liquor and Xylazine-Tainted Fentanyl Illustrate the Same Prohibitionist Peril
While the lethal effects of Iran’s booze ban are widely recognized, politicians ignore similar consequences from U.S. drug laws.
One Reason for New York's Pitiful Rollout of Legal Pot: License Preferences for Victims of Prohibition
More than two years after legalizing recreational use, the state has just a dozen licensed retailers.
The Economics of Prohibition Doom Plans To Reduce Drug Use by Busting Online Dealers
A study suggests that "selectively targeting large-scale drug vendors" on the dark web can succeed where all previous enforcement efforts have failed.
Pot Legalization Is a 'Big Mistake' Only If You Ignore the Value of Freedom and the Injustice of Prohibition
The harm caused by marijuana abuse does not justify reverting to an oppressive policy that criminalized peaceful conduct.
New York's Heavy Hand Keeps Illegal Marijuana and Tobacco Dealers in Business
High taxes and heavy regulations are as effective as prohibition at creating black markets.
Prohibition Gave Us Xylazine in Fentanyl. The Solution, Drug Warriors Say, Is More Prohibition.
The emergence of the animal tranquilizer as an opioid adulterant illustrates once again how the war on drugs makes drug use more dangerous.
Massachusetts' Tobacco Ban Went as Badly as You'd Expect
And now the state thinks it needs to crack down even more.
The End of a Weed Paradise
D.C. is destroying its thriving cannabis industry with bureaucracy and red tape.
My Daughter's School District Warns That Nicotine Vapers Could Be Unknowingly Inhaling Fentanyl
It is hard to find evidence of this "disturbing trend."
Mike Pompeo Says He 'Grew Up Libertarian'
These days, he may run for president. His politics have changed.
New Zealand Bans Cigarette Sales to Anyone Born After 2008. Forever.
The country's strategy ignores the failures of prohibition.
California's Vaping Flavor Ban Could Be Lethal
By making e-cigarettes less appealing, it will discourage smokers from switching to a much less hazardous nicotine habit.
Washington Has Been Much More Successful Than California in Displacing the Black Market for Pot
Lighter regulation is one likely explanation.
Open Virginia's Whiskey Market
Freeing up Virginia’s liquor market is more worthwhile than just busting its whiskey black market.
L.A. Times Investigates California's Marijuana Legalization Disaster
An emphasis on corruption and enforcement downplays the very real influence of regulation and taxes on California's booming black market.
The FDA's War on Juul Will Kill People
Bureaucrats say they want to save lives. But they're moving to block a tool that is proven to help smokers quit entirely.
A Record Number of Drug-Related Deaths Shows the Drug War Is Remarkably Effective at Killing People
According to new CDC numbers, the death toll rose 15 percent last year after jumping 30 percent in 2020.
The FDA's Menthol Cigarette Ban Is a 'Racial Justice' Issue, but Not in the Way Its Supporters Mean
The proposed rule, which targets the cigarettes that black smokers overwhelmingly prefer, will harm the community it is supposed to help.
California Cities Are Rethinking Their Marijuana Business Bans
Nearly two dozen towns that had said no to legal weed shops are reconsidering.
A High School Banned Students From Selling Snacks. Predictably, a Black Market for Snacks Emerged.
A sociologist spent 112 days tracking students' illicit deals for chips and other goodies.
California Escalates Its War on the Marijuana Black Market
A new 2022 law will punish anybody “aiding and abetting” unlicensed dealers. It will most certainly harm low-level workers.
Californians Learn That Raising Taxes on Marijuana Fuels Black Markets for Drugs
If only they would apply that lesson to other goods and services.
State Governments Are Creating Their Own Drug Cartels
Much of what government does is tax people to try to fix problems that government caused.
Oregon's New Vaping Restrictions Will Drive Kids to Smoke
Officials publicly congratulate themselves for protecting teens, but they know that they’re prodding young people to switch to cigarettes.
The FDA Wants To Lower Nicotine in All Cigarettes, Which Will Make Smokers Smoke More
This is the same agency that cost thousands of lives with its botched vaccine rollout.
Scofflaws Paved the Way for Legal Marijuana
Defying authoritarian laws helps to preserve freedom and to undermine prohibitions.
