Why Are Half of All U.S. Exonerations of Black Prisoners?
A new report looks at decades of troubling trends of bad convictions in murder, rape, and drug cases.
Drug Policy
More States Poised To Ease Marijuana Laws After Election Day
Ten years after Colorado and Washington embraced legalization, the movement looks unstoppable.
Selling Fentanyl Could Mean the Death Penalty Under New Rubio Bill
As per usual, politicians' response to negative effects of the drug war is…more drug war.
This Alabama Woman Was Jailed for 3 Months Because She Smoked Pot While Pregnant
Pregnant and postpartum women arrested on minor drug charges can find themselves locked up for months in Etowah County.
'The Government Needed a Scapegoat': 75-Year-Old Man Charged With Opioid Conspiracy Cleared
Plus: FIRE sues to stop the Stop WOKE Act, processing times for skilled immigrants skyrocket, and more...
Young Adults Used Pot and Psychedelics in Record Numbers Last Year, While Adolescent Drug Use Fell Sharply
The results confirm that the ongoing collapse of marijuana prohibition has not boosted underage consumption.
Americans View Marijuana Much More Favorably Than Alcohol
Plus: college majors shifting, Klobuchar's media bill, and more...
Senate Candidate Dr. Oz, Who Once Sang Pot's Praises, Now Thinks Supporting Legalization Is Clearly Crazy
The former TV doctor, who two years ago said "we ought to completely change our policy on marijuana," mocks his opponent for agreeing.
Gavin Newsom Vetoes Bill Legalizing 'Safe Consumption Sites' in 3 California Cities
The California governor argued that the bill could lead to "a world of unintended consequences."
Arizona Expands the Right To Try New Medical Treatments
It’s a small step toward breaking down barriers between patients and innovative medicine.
A New Study Finds No Correlation Between Opioid Prescriptions and Drug-Related Deaths
The CDC, which issued disastrous pain treatment advice in 2016, is still pushing a narrative contradicted by recent data.
Why Is Anyone Still Surprised That a Fox News Libertarian Is OK With Psychedelics?
The millennial news site called them hypocrites, but Greg Gutfeld and Kat Timpf have a long history of advocating drug legalization.
Brittney Griner's 9.5-Year Sentence Is Harsh Even by Russian Standards
It is unclear if, or when, she could be freed by a prisoner exchange.
Brittney Griner's 9-Year Sentence Highlights Stark Differences Between Russian and U.S. Pot Penalties
Travelers caught with small amounts of marijuana at the U.S. border face much less severe punishment.
California Lawmakers Approve Drug Injection Sites for Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco
Supervised facilities aim to make a dent in the dramatic increase in overdose deaths.
San Francisco's New D.A. Leans Into Prohibition, Will Roll Back Plea Agreements Offered by Her Predecessor
"We have to make changes now to save lives," Brooke Jenkins said, announcing tougher penalties for fentanyl dealers.
Scofflaws Lead the Way To Legalizing Psychedelic Drugs
With 28 percent of Americans trying hallucinogens, the days are numbered for bans.
How Many People Have To Be Assaulted or Killed Before Chuck Schumer Stops Resisting Marijuana Banking Reform?
The Senate majority leader has repeatedly blocked a bill that would address the robbery threat to state-licensed pot shops.
Chuck Schumer Learned Nothing From the Failure of Pot Legalization in California
The Senate majority leader’s marijuana bill would pile on more taxes and regulations, despite years of complaints about the barriers they create.
Chuck Schumer's Doomed Marijuana Monstrosity Is Not a Serious Attempt To Repeal Pot Prohibition
The Senate majority leader's 296-page bill would compound the barriers to successful legalization.
The FDA Perversely Seeks To Make Both Cigarettes and Harm-Reducing Alternatives Less Appealing
The agency’s policies would boost the black market and smoking-related deaths.
SCOTUS Rules That Doctors Who Write Prescriptions in Good Faith Can't Be Convicted of Drug Trafficking
The unanimous decision will rein in prosecutions that have long had a chilling effect on pain treatment.
Jared Polis Wants To Leave You Alone
Colorado's governor on parenting, partisanship, and sensible pandemic responses
Delta-8 Cannabis Compound Is Legal, Says Federal Appeals Court
Plus: Libertarian Party changes abortion and bigotry planks, the FDA's weird rejection of fluvoxamine for treating COVID-19, and more...
The Blurry Legal Line Between Doctors and Drug Dealers
Xiulu Ruan, a pain specialist, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for prescribing opioid analgesics "outside the usual course of professional medical practice."
Samuel Alito Thinks It's Obviously Absurd To Suggest That Drug Prohibition Violates the Constitution
The justice overlooks the long American tradition of pharmacological freedom and the dubious constitutional basis for federal bans.
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.
Congress Won't Legalize Pot Anytime Soon, but It Could Protect Marijuana Businesses by Passing Banking Reform
Chuck Schumer seems less interested in achieving cannabis reform than in making political hay from his inevitable failure.
Congress Should Not Legalize Marijuana, Marco Rubio Says, Because Black-Market Weed Is 'Laced With Fentanyl'
The Florida senator has a long history of defending prohibition, but it has not improved his arguments.
Carl Hart: Legalize All Drugs Now!
The controversial Columbia neuroscientist, Air Force vet, and author of Drug Use for Grown-Ups believes deeply in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Dr. Carl Hart: 'I Am Better for My Drug Use'
The maverick Columbia neuroscientist explains why America should embrace drug legalization for all.
When Will Democrats Get Serious About Repealing Pot Prohibition?
Instead of building on Republican support for federalism, they seem determined to alienate potential allies.
Under Oregon's Proposed Rules, Legal Psilocybin Will Be All-Natural, Organic, and GMO-Free
The state's regulators plan to start accepting applications from manufacturers and "service centers" on January 2.
Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
The new documentary revisits the draconian political response to the crack cocaine "epidemic" of the 1980s.
Deadly Pot Shop Robberies Underline the Need for Marijuana Banking Reform While the Senate Dithers
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer worries that approving the SAFE Banking Act would make broader changes less likely.
Man With No Criminal History Gets 5-Year Sentence for Selling Weed
The federal mandatory minimum didn't leave many options.
Missouri Marijuana Legalization Bill Aims High but Expectations Remain Low
Previous efforts languished in committees.
No, California Shouldn't Keep Crazy High Marijuana Taxes 'For the Children'
Child care workers benefit from state subsidies. They’re fighting against possible cuts by encouraging regressive taxes that fuel a new drug war.
Pot Won't Be Advertised at Super Bowl, Though Players Will Probably Use It After
A proposed commercial by dispensary-locator company Weedmaps was sacked by NFL and NBC suits.
West Virginia Mulls New Criminal Penalties for Imaginary Threat of Police Fentanyl Exposure
A medical myth that responders can overdose by touching or inhaling synthetic opioids may lead to harsher jail sentences.
Michael Shellenberger: How Progressives Ruined American Cities
The San Fransicko author on fighting homelessness and mental illnesses without shredding civil liberties.
If Chuck Schumer Supports Marijuana Legalization, Why Did He Nix a Bill That Would Have Helped Pot Businesses Use Banks?
Stranger still, the leading drug policy reform organization supported Schumer's obstruction.
The Year's Highlights in Blame Shifting
Politicians and cops found creative ways to dodge responsibility in 2021.
Californians Learn That Raising Taxes on Marijuana Fuels Black Markets for Drugs
If only they would apply that lesson to other goods and services.
Biden Doubles Down on a Lethal Anti-Drug Strategy
Prohibition has driven opioid-related deaths to record levels.
Mail-Order Abortion Pills, Now Officially Authorized by the FDA, Pose an Insoluble Problem for Legislators Who Want To Ban the Procedure
Federal regulators have permanently lifted a requirement that mifepristone be dispensed in person.
Feds Pledge $30 Million To Fund Drug Harm Reduction Programs
Less punitive responses to drug addiction are good, but what about people still stuck in federal prison?
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