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.
Drug Policy
Justice O'Connor's Parting Dissents Highlighted the Twin Perils of Local Tyranny and Federal Overreach
The late Supreme Court justice eloquently defended property rights and state autonomy.
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.
Two 15-Year Sentences Illustrate the Ugly Interaction of Drug and Gun Laws
The Supreme Court mulls how to apply a mandatory minimum for gun possession by people convicted of drug felonies.
Shane Mauss: Is the End of the Drug War Inevitable?
Comedian Shane Mauss on the democratization of mushrooms, LSD, cannabis, DMT, and ketamine
Review: Painkiller Falls for Drug War Misconceptions
The series foregrounds cases of OxyContin addiction, despite their rarity.
Prosecutors of 6-Year-Old Shooter's Mother Claim Gun-Owning Pot Users Are 'Inherently Dangerous'
Deja Taylor is going to federal prison because of a constitutionally dubious gun law that millions of cannabis consumers are violating right now.
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.
Remember the Teen Vaping 'Epidemic'?
Policies inspired by that exaggerated threat continue to undermine the harm-reducing potential of e-cigarettes.
Ohio Becomes the 24th State To Legalize Recreational Marijuana
Voters approved a ballot initiative that will allow possession, home cultivation, and commercial distribution—assuming that state legislators don't interfere.
State-Licensed Pot Suppliers Say Federal Prohibition Is Unconstitutional As Applied to Them
A federal lawsuit argues that it is time to reassess the Commerce Clause rationale for banning intrastate marijuana production and distribution.
Matthew Perry, Drug Abuse, and Prohibition
The death of the Friends star should remind us of the costs of the war on drugs.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Nixes Psychedelic Decriminalization and Cannabis Cafés
Newsom vetoed both reforms, which he deemed excessively permissive.
The Shady Statistics Behind the War on Painkillers
The government has doubled down on failed policies, citing deeply flawed studies and misrepresenting data.
The 'Whack Jobs' Were Right
Plus: A listener asks the editors to weigh in on a hypothetical executive order to establish an American Climate Corps.
On Guns, Drugs, and National Security, Dianne Feinstein Was Consistently Authoritarian
The late California senator always seemed to err on the side of more government power and less individual freedom.
The Truth About Ron DeSantis' Fentanyl Horror Story
The culprit is prohibition, not lax border policing.
Punishment Is Not the Point: Puzzle #9
"Gavin Newsom eating at French Laundry during a COVID-19 surge, for example"
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.
A Study Finds 'No Evidence' That Decriminalization Boosted Drug-Related Deaths in Oregon
The researchers reached a similar conclusion about overdose trends in Washington, where penalties for simple possession were reduced in 2021.
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.
Erika Dyck: Are We Living in a Psychedelic Renaissance?
Historian Erika Dyck contextualizes the deep roots of and battles over LSD, psilocybin, and other psychoactive substances.
Hunter Biden Gets Caught in America's Double War on Drugs and Guns
Plus: A listener asks for the editors’ advice on how to spend his money.
Fake Sudafed Is Bullshit, Just As You Suspected
Legal restrictions on pseudoephedrine have not reduced meth use, but they have driven people with colds or allergies toward substitutes that seem to be completely ineffective.
The Secret History of Psychedelics
Historian Erika Dyck wants to document the deep roots of and battles over LSD, psilocybin, and other psychoactive substances.
Depressed by the War on Drugs? Magic Mushrooms May Help.
Research is promising, but drug warriors stand in the way.
DEA Finally Relaxes Prescription Transfer Rules
The change, while welcome, is modest and won't get rid of patients' headaches as they try to fill their prescriptions.
Rick Doblin: The Man Behind the 'Psychedelic '20s'
The founder of MAPS talks about FDA approval for MDMA-assisted therapy and the "psychedelic renaissance" he has helped create.
35 Years Ago, a Judge Said Marijuana Did Not Belong in Schedule I. HHS Finally Agrees.
The 1988 case highlighted the DEA's stubborn insistence that marijuana has no "accepted medical use."
Rescheduling Marijuana Would Leave Federal Prohibition Essentially Untouched
Although the HHS-recommended change would benefit researchers and the cannabis industry, it would not resolve the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws.
Definitely Evil Agency: October 2023 Puzzle
"Airport purchase that could make you suspicious to the DEA"
What Rescheduling Marijuana Would and Wouldn't Do
Although it would leave federal prohibition essentially untouched, the change would facilitate medical research and dramatically reduce taxes on state-licensed suppliers.
HHS Asks DEA To Reclassify Cannabis as Equivalent to Testosterone and Codeine Tylenol
Plus: Tennessee prosecutor threatens to use drag law that was declared unconstitutional, ACLU asks FTC to investigate Mastercard's adult content policy, and more...
A GOP Consensus Emerges: Militarize the Border
In last night's Republican presidential debate, candidates floated various forms of military action against drug cartels.
A Netflix Drama Reinforces Pernicious Misconceptions About Pain Treatment
Painkiller reflects an indiscriminate anti-opioid bias that has caused needless suffering.
Donald Trump Has a Wild New Immigration Plan
A report reveals new draconian restrictions the 2024 frontrunner wants to implement, such as sea blockades in Latin America and "ideological screening" for migrants.
In November, Ohio Could Become the 24th State To Legalize Marijuana
The cannabis initiative will appear alongside a measure aimed at protecting abortion rights, which could boost its chances.
5th Circuit Says Prosecuting a Cannabis Consumer for Possessing Guns Violated the Second Amendment
The decision casts further doubt on the constitutionality of a federal law that makes it a felony for illegal drug users to own firearms.
Did Drug Decriminalization Cause a 'Catastrophe' in Oregon?
Many of the problems the state is experiencing are caused by the continuing impact of prohibition.
Should Donald Trump and Hunter Biden Both Be Prosecuted?
Plus: A listener question concerning drug decriminalization and social well-being
A Professor Criticized a Public Official. Then Her University Suspended Her.
Texas A&M placed a professor on paid leave for criticizing Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a lecture on the opioid crisis.
Hunter Biden Shouldn't Go to Prison for Violating an Arbitrary Gun Law
A judge's questions about his plea deal should not obscure the point that the law he broke is unjust and arguably unconstitutional.
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.
Florida Bans Medical Marijuana in All State-Licensed Rehabs and Sober Living Houses
Some patients, especially those with opioid addictions, could actually benefit from access to medical marijuana.
Trump Can't Decide Whether To Free Drug Dealers or Kill Them
His bloody rhetoric undermines his defense of the sentencing reforms he proudly embraced as president.
Bombing Mexican Cartels Won't Stop Fentanyl
A Republican-sponsored resolution would authorize the president to "use all necessary and appropriate force" against foreigners involved in fentanyl trafficking.
