Despite Congressional Approval, Selling Hemp and CBD Remains Legally Perilous
States do not necessarily distinguish between hemp and marijuana, and the FDA looks askance at medical claims.
Nanny State
Incoming FDA Commissioner Sharpless Shouldn't Stop Snus, the Safer Swedish Smoking Alternative
Even as the FDA continues to crack-down on vaping, it appears ready to allow snus to be sold as what it is: a safer alternative to smoking.
What Brothels Can Teach All of Us About Risk
Allison Schrager's An Economist Walks Into a Brothel demystifies sex work, big-wave surfing, horse-breeding, and other high-risk professions.
An Economist Walks Into a Brothel: What Prostitutes and Big-Wave Surfers Can Teach Us About Risk
Allison Schrager wants to change the way you take chances.
Utah's New Beer Law Isn't Lifting Many Spirits
The good news? Utah is lifting its alcohol cap! The bad news? The new cap is still quite low.
FOSTA's First Test Targets Cloud Company Used by Backpage
Plus: a Robert Kraft/spa-sting update, Florida sex-buyer registry nixed, D.C. activist alleges entrapment, and more sex-work and sex-policy news.
Doctor Convicted of Child Abuse Still Getting $100,000 Annual Taxpayer-Funded Pension
The laws governing public pensions allow for horrible people to collect government benefits.
Legal Sports Betting Makes March Madness Better Than Ever
Bringing sports betting out of the black market is a win for fans and sports leagues, and it's another indication of how prohibitionist policies fail.
CVS Pharmacy, America's Largest Drug Store Chain, Will Carry CBD Products
The rapid social and commercial acceptance of marijuana and marijuana-related products continues. Government still lags behind.
Bad State Laws and Big Money Beer Wholesalers Are Still Hurting Craft Brewers
The craft beer industry can only go as far as lawmakers will allow.
NYC Bill Would Outlaw Unfair Terminations in the Fast Food Industry
The proposal comes as restaurants struggle with the city's new $15 minimum wage.
Proposed FDA Policy Will Make It Harder for Vapers to Get the Flavors They Prefer
The upshot could be more smoking-related disease and death.
Trump Wants to Tax Your Juul
The White House's budget proposal would subject E-cigarettes and vaping products to a new "user fee," but it's really just a tax.
Feds Say Ohio Vice Cop Andrew Mitchell Abducted Women and Forced Them Into Sex
Authorities wouldn't say whether the charges related to Donna Dalton, who was shot to death by Mitchell last August.
FDA Chief and Vaping Opponent Scott Gottlieb Is Leaving the Food and Drug Administration
When and wherever public health conflicted with personal freedom, Gottlieb advocated for the former.
Sneak-and-Peek Warrant for Hidden Cameras at Florida Massage Parlors Faces Scrutiny
We were told this sort of spying would only be used to stop terrorists. And yet...
New Study Finds Almost Half of Juul Starter Kit Buyers Quit Within 3 Months
Those who continued to smoke cut their cigarette consumption in half.
For Nanny-Statism, California's Supreme Court Might Be Worse Than the State Legislature
Unlike lawmakers, who are usually are fairly forthright about their goals and intent, the justices have left Californians befuddled with several recent rulings.
Homeland Security and Florida Cops Spied on Chinese Massage Workers for Months but Still Couldn't Find Evidence of Human Trafficking
Nine women face felony prostitution charges and hundreds of their customers have been arrested. Florida says it's the real victim.
Kamala Harris Won't Denounce Federal Law That Harms Sex Workers, but May Support Decriminalizing Prostitution
"I think that we have to understand though that it is not as simple as that."
'No Allegations of Human Trafficking' and 'Women Could've Walked Out' In Florida Massage-Parlor Prostitution Stings
Authorities are walking back big claims about an international human-trafficking ring involving Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
A Switch to Vaping Reduces 8 Biomarkers of Smoking As Much As Abstinence
A randomized clinical study adds to the evidence that e-cigarettes are far less hazardous than the conventional kind.
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft's Bust Is Being Billed as a Human Trafficking Bust, but It Looks More Like Ordinary Prostitution
It's also part of a larger national attack on massage parlors and sex workers.
Proposed Anti-Soda Bills in California Would Ban Big Gulps, Mandate Warning Labels on Vending Machines
State legislators are preparing to take the nanny state to the next level
New Study Casts Doubt on the Claim That Vaping Causes Smoking
Past-month vaping did not predict experimentation with cigarettes in a large sample of teenagers.
Thanks to New York City Health Officials, New Yorkers Can No Longer Get CBD in Their Coffee
After cracking down on sugar, salt, and trans fats, the agency's turn against CBD is hardly unexpected.
FCC Commissioner Wants to Ban E-Cigarette Ads, Because 'Public Interest'
Jessica Rosenworcel overlooks the statutory and constitutional obstacles to her plan.
Last Year Saw 'Furthest-Reaching Attempt to Censor Online Speech' Since the 1990s, Say FOSTA Challengers
As the lawsuit against FOSTA hits appeals court, three essays about the law that everyone should read.
Did Vaping Stop the Downward Trend in Adolescent Smoking?
One survey shows cigarette use holding steady, while another shows it continuing to fall.
When the Revolution Comes, I'll Be First Up Against the Bar
A few more drinks for AOC's "Cocktails for the Revolution" menu.
Sex-Trafficking Hysteria Is Eroding Privacy in Hotels, Airplanes, and More: Podcast
Elizabeth Nolan Brown talks about DHS's "Blue Campaign," which is pushing hotel and airline workers to call the feds if they suspect human trafficking.
New York City Claims Veto Power Over Food Ingredients in CBD Ban
It's legal, but the health department thinks it's somehow different when added to other products.
Here's the Cocktail You Should Drink During Trump's State of the Union Tonight
The Last Word is what every politician wants. It's better in boozy form.
Republican Senator Pitches Weird Conspiracy Theory About Weed Legalization, Menthol Cigarettes, and the FDA
Sen. Richard Burr raises an interesting point about onerous regulation, but his argument is baffling.
Are You a Woman Traveling Alone? Marriott Might Be Watching You.
How big hotel chains became arms of the surveillance state.
Kamala Harris Hopes You'll Forget Her Record as a Drug Warrior and Draconian Prosecutor
The senator and presidential hopeful went to bat for dirty prosecutors, opposed marijuana legalization, and championed policies that endanger sex workers.
Virginia Alcohol Regulators Said Ending Ban on Happy Hour Ads Would Literally Kill People, Then Supported Ending the Ban
This is a clear victory for freedom, but the way it went down might make you scratch your head a little.
Private Schools Provide Educational Choice—For Now
Private schools are holding their ground against surging competition and scared regulators.
San Francisco Wants to Tax Vacant Shopfronts to Attract New Business
Supervisor Aaron Peskin is pitching his bill as a way to help out small business and crackdown on speculating landlords.
Michael Bloomberg: Legalizing Weed 'Is Perhaps the Stupidest Thing We've Ever Done'
It's safe to say this guy would not make a good president.
Arizona Legislator Wanted To Tax Online Porn To Pay for Border Wall
Behold HB 2444, which would have required a $20 fee to remove pre-installed porn filters on devices that connect to the internet.
Nastya Rybka Freed From Russian Jail After Vowing Not to Leak More Dirt on Deripaska
After months imprisoned in Thailand, the Belarusian citizen was deported to Moscow and promptly arrested on charges of luring people into prostitution.
Is the 21st Amendment a Free Pass for Liquor Protectionism?
Tennessee alcohol merchants are asking the Supreme Court to uphold an absurd residency requirement that shields them from competition.
Georgia's 'Mimosa Mandate' Is a Victory for Alcohol Freedom
Now restaurants can sell alcohol on Sundays as early as 11:00 a.m.
