Chuck Schumer Says He Wants To Legalize Marijuana. His Bill Suggests Otherwise.
The Senate majority leader's racial rhetoric and overly prescriptive approach make an already iffy effort even more quixotic.
Drug Policy
Psychonautical Journalist Michael Pollan Is Finally Ready To End the War on Drugs
The evolution of Pollan's thinking reflects the confusion caused by arbitrary pharmacological distinctions.
Clarence Thomas Blasts the 'Contradictory and Unstable' Federal Marijuana Ban
Sixteen years after Gonzales v. Raich, Thomas is back with another opinion criticizing the federal government’s marijuana ban.
America Loves Gay Marriage (and Weed)
A new poll shows even a majority of Republicans now support same-sex marriage.
This 38-Year-Old Man Will Spend Life in Prison Over 1.5 Ounces of Marijuana
Plus: The gas crisis, it's time to free Reality Winner, and more...
The Surge in Drug-Related Fatalities During the Pandemic Highlights the Root Causes of Addiction
The crackdown on pain medication made drug use more dangerous and did nothing to address the factors driving "deaths of despair."
Marijuana and Pregnancy: What Does the Science Say?
The best available evidence suggests fears about fetal risk, while not totally unwarranted, are often overblown.
Coming Out of the Chemical Closet
Neuropsychopharmacologist Carl Hart says most of what the public knows about drugs is both scary and wrong.
Philadelphia Safe Injection Site Hits Another Legal Roadblock
An appeals court panel rules the Controlled Substance Act's "crackhouse" provision forbids Safehouse from creating the facility.
Violent Crime in Baltimore Plunges After City Ditches Prosecution of Prostitution, Drug Possession, Other Minor Offenses
Plus: The "infrastructure plan" that isn't, the Institute for Justice challenges cash seizures at airports, and more...
New York Finally—After Three Years—on Verge of Legalizing Marijuana
A compromise is now circulating that would establish a market but also allow growing at home.
White House Sanctions Staffers Over Past Marijuana Use
Plus: FTC commissioner on antitrust action against Facebook, FIRE's Greg Lukianoff on the "marketplace of ideas" metaphor, and more...
Mandating Indoor Cannabis Cultivation Is Bad for the Environment
Legalizing interstate sales and allowing outdoor growing would reduce the cannabis industry's energy consumption.
The Washington Supreme Court Just Decriminalized Simple Drug Possession. Legislators Shouldn't 'Fix' the Overturned Law.
The court said criminalizing unknowing possession violates the right to due process.
Legal Pot Doesn't Seem To Increase Teen Use or Addiction
Two studies published in November found that legalization has not been associated with increases in adolescent marijuana use or addiction.
Biden Says Drug Users Shouldn't Be Jailed but Won't Do Anything To Stop It
Plus: "Cancel culture" confusion, Biden rejects student loan forgiveness, Stossel and Snowden on internet privacy, and more...
From Magic Mushroom to Forbidden Fungus (and Back)
Half a century ago, Congress declared that there is no legitimate use for psilocybin. State and local governments are finally challenging that judgment.
'I Use Heroin to Be a Better Person': Columbia University Neuroscientist Carl Hart
His new book, Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, is a provocative manifesto for legalizing all drugs.
What the War on Drugs Can Teach Us About Fighting COVID-19
We can’t eliminate the virus, but we can reduce its harm to our lives and livelihoods.
Biden Restores a Barrier to Opioid Addiction Treatment
The new administration nixes a change that would have allowed more physicians to prescribe buprenorphine.
Cuomo Seems Intent on Screwing up New York's Marijuana Legalization
No home cultivation? Increased criminal penalties? This is not the way to end a drug war.
Carl Hart: Drug Use for Grown-Ups
The Columbia neuroscientist talks frankly about using heroin responsibly and "chasing liberty in the land of fear."
Lil Wayne, Steve Bannon, and Some Drug War Victims Pardoned, but No Assange, Snowden, or Ulbricht
Plus: Pelosi wants 9/11-style commission to investigate Capitol attack, MyPillow drama, and more...
This 71-Year-Old 'Love Doc' Says MDMA Is 'Emotional Superglue'
"It's like taking a chemical helicopter ride above my life," says psychotherapist Charles Wininger. "Then I can come back down and rededicate myself to the way I want to be living."
What Drug Warriors Got Wrong About the Opioid Epidemic
The original formulation of OxyContin didn’t create the opioid crisis, argues psychiatrist Sally Satel, and removing it from the market didn’t make the problem go away.
Charles Wininger: Why We Should Listen To Ecstasy and Other Psychedelics
A 71-year-old therapist comes out of the "chemical closet" to promote MDMA as a means of self-discovery
Medical Marijuana Gets the Green Light From the United Nations
Plus: Trump says he'll veto defense bill if it doesn't destroy the internet, House moves to free federal court records, and more...
Will a Historic House Vote on Marijuana Legalization Nudge Biden Toward More Ambitious Reforms?
The MORE Act, which would repeal federal prohibition, is scheduled for a vote this week.
Biden's Drug Policies Are Still Oppressive
The reformed drug warrior opposes marijuana legalization and supports "mandatory rehabilitation" for people who violate the government’s pharmacological decrees.
America Wants Legal Marijuana More Than Ever Before. Catch Up, Joe Biden.
Gallup shows 68 percent supporting legalization.
Feeling Good About the Future After an Ugly Election
Amidst the anger and nastiness, there are real signs that America is thriving.
Voters Used Ballot Initiatives To Defy Power-Mad Politicians
Tax hikes? Drug wars? Racial Preferences? Not today.
Yesterday's Clean Sweep for Drug Policy Reform Suggests That Prohibition May Collapse Sooner Than Expected
Ballot initiatives continue to reverse marijuana prohibition while making the treatment of other drugs less oppressive and more tolerant.
On Election Night, the Real Winner Was Drugs
Plus: Presidential results still unclear (but Trump declares victory in a few states anyway), California approves Proposition 22, and more...
12 Good Things That Might Happen Today, None of Which Involve Trump or Biden
American voters have the chance to usher in a few libertarian policies this election, courtesy of these state ballot measures.
Joe Biden Envisions a Kinder, Gentler Drug War. We Should Demand Its End.
Drug courts and mandatory treatment models often lead right back to incarceration.
Debate's Best Moment: Trump and Biden Bragging on Prison Reform
The U.S. incarceration rate peaked in 2008, but it's good to see two "law and order" candidates talking about clemency.
Kamala Harris Promises To Decriminalize Marijuana and Expunge Records
The position is likely the strongest any major-party candidate for president or vice president has taken on the issue in such a prominent venue.
Democrats Scuttle Marijuana Decriminalization Vote Over Fears of Not Being Deferential Enough to Cop Lobbyists
If Congress is too afraid to vote on marijuana reform, how the hell are they ever going to pass policing reform?
A New Bill Would Stop the Feds From Tossing Drug Defendants in Prison Before They're Convicted
A proposed bipartisan change in pretrial detention rules could free thousands annually.
Oregon Ballot Initiative Would Decriminalize Low-Level Possession of All Drugs
Measure 110 would reduce felony convictions for drug possession by an estimated 95 percent.
Democratic Party Platform Calls for End to Drug War, But Not Really
Substituting drug courts for prosecution unfortunately still often leads to incarceration.
Former Drug Warrior Kamala Harris Wants To Legalize Pot. Can She Flip Joe Biden?
Once a staunch prohibitionist, the Democratic vice-presidential pick is arguably the most libertarian senator on marijuana.
Democrats Wimp Out on Federal Marijuana Legalization. Thanks, Joe Biden!
The party rejects a position shared by two-thirds of the country (but not its presidential nominee).
RIP Arnold Trebach, Who Helped Make Opposition to the Drug War Respectable
The American University professor called for "drug peace" at a time when both major parties were committed to ever-escalating violence.
Washington, D.C., Might Decriminalize Magic Mushrooms
The Decriminalize Nature D.C. initiative has gathered enough signatures to land on the ballot this November.
Want to Reform the Criminal Justice System? End the Drug War.
Drug prohibition increases conflict between citizens and the police.
