Drugs
The Myth of the 'Opium War'
The vast majority of opium users in China were not the desperate addicts portrayed by proponents of prohibition.
California Threatens Landlords of Unlicensed Pot Shops With Prosecution
The drug wars will continue until the state gets its cut of the money.
Death Rate of Middle-Aged Americans Rises for Third Year
U.S. life expectancy peaked in 2014.
The Marijuana Black Market Will Keep Its Throne in California, Thanks to Tax Increases
When the government tries to hoover up all the money earned from legalized drugs, this is what happens.
What's the Matter With Idaho?
Of the 50 states, three territories, and 10 provinces that make up the United States and Canada, all but one have legalized some form of either medical or recreational cannabis.
Cory Booker Just Crushed Joe Biden Over His Tepid Support for Marijuana Legalization
To his credit, Biden responded by calling for the decriminalization of marijuana and for releasing marijuana prisoners.
Federal Indictment Says Deadly Houston Drug Raid Was Based on Lies From Start to Finish
The Justice Department says Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were killed in an operation based on a fraudulent warrant triggered by a false report to police.
Democrats Shift From Demonizing Cannabis to Demonizing Nicotine
The House is simultaneously advancing bills that would legalize marijuana and ban the vast majority of vaping products.
Will Florida Finally Grant Relief to Inmates Trapped Serving Sentences Under Drug Laws That No Longer Exist?
Somewhere between 650 and 1,000 Florida inmates are serving sentences under draconian opioid trafficking laws that have since been rolled back.
If Biden Won't Support Legalization Until We Know Whether Marijuana Is a 'Gateway Drug,' He Will Never Support Legalization
The correlation between cannabis consumption and use of other drugs is clear, but its meaning remains controversial and probably always will.
The Cajun Cannabis Conundrum
In Louisiana, the legal medical marijuana scheme is a mess: Physicians' hands are tied by state regulators and there's not enough pot to go around for the patients who need it.
Australian Police Willing To Leer At As Many Naked Teen Bodies As It Takes To Stop Drug Overdoses
Sexually scarring children with unnecessary strip searches to prevent them from committing misdemeanors
More Evidence That Black-Market THC Products Are Responsible for Vaping-Related Lung Injuries
The CDC found vitamin E acetate in all 29 samples of lung fluid it analyzed.
Michael Bloomberg's Centrism Combines the Worst Instincts of the Right and Left
In the unlikely event that the former New York mayor wins the Democratic nomination, the 2020 election will pit a billionaire busybody against a billionaire bully.
Greg Gutfeld Is Done With Politics and Ready To Drop Acid
The Fox News star talks about Donald Trump, the 2020 election, the end of politics, and why he's ready for a whole new reality.
California's War on Weed Continues Thanks to a Red Tape-Fueled Black Market
The Golden State is still taking punitive, costly, and pointless measures to fight illegal grow operations.
This Chronicle of Sloppy Alcohol Breath Testing Highlights the Hidden Problems With Supposedly Scientific Forensic Evidence
Even when a technology is valid in theory, haphazard methods can lead to wrongful convictions.
Louisville SWAT Team Looking for Pot Needlessly Terrorizes Family, Thanks to a False Tip, a Cursory Investigation, and a Detective's Nose
The cop claimed to detect "a strong smell of fresh marijuana coming from within the house," but police did not find any.
Should Adults Be Allowed to Use Any Drug They Choose? A Soho Forum Debate
Reason's Jacob Sullum and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson debate eliminating laws that prohibit the use and sale of narcotics.
Victims of Marijuana Raid Based on Tea in Their Trash Get Another Chance to Hold Cops Responsible
The 10th Circuit says Adlynn and Robert Harte should be allowed to pursue three federal claims against comically inept Kansas sheriff's deputies.
Inside America's First Restaurant for Weed
West Hollywood's Lowell Farms Cafe serves food, drinks, and marijuana.
It Seems Highly Doubtful That a President Sanders Could Unilaterally Legalize Marijuana
While the Controlled Substances Act generally gives the attorney general the authority to deschedule drugs, it also invokes treaty obligations that seem to preclude doing that with cannabis.
Canada Hobbles 'Legal' Marijuana With Burdensome Rules
Once again, underground suppliers step in when over-regulated markets can’t satisfy customers.
Bernie Sanders Manages To Make Marijuana Legalization Cost $50 Billion
The senator's marijuana legalization plan is heavy on taxes, regulation, and executive power.
Massachusetts Study Confirms That People Rarely Die After Using Opioids Prescribed for Them
Illicit fentanyl and heroin accounted for the vast majority of opioid-related deaths, while only 1 percent of cases involved drugs for which people had prescriptions.
If Facebook Can Get Rid of Dick Pics, It Can Stop All Drug Deals Too, Claim Activists
Gutting Section 230 would make it harder to track drug deals, not easier.
As Tennessee Forces Opioid Prescription Cutbacks, More People Are Dying of Overdoses
Deaths continue to rise, thanks to increased use of less-safe black market pain pills.
Should All Drugs Be Legal? A Soho Forum Debate
Reason's Jacob Sullum and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson debate eliminating laws that prohibit the use and sale of narcotics.
Congress Should Let Marijuana Businesses Have Access to Banks
There are stories of marijuana business owners showing up at California's tax agency offices with trash bags filled with cash, even though the agency generally doesn't allow cash payments.
Democratic Presidential Candidates Promote Dangerous Opioid Myths
The discussion during last night's debate grossly exaggerated the role of prescription pain pills in opioid-related deaths.
Silicon Valley Is Helping Expunge Marijuana Convictions
California is turning to tech solution to clear bureaucratic hurdles.
Russia Sentences Israeli-American Traveler to 7.5 Years in Prison for 9 Grams of Pot
Naama Issachar, a 26-year-old woman who was arrested while catching a connecting flight in Moscow, was charged with drug smuggling.
Muddled Message About Vaping Causes Costly Confusion
Vague lung disease warnings tar harm-reducing e-cigarettes while obscuring the role of black-market cannabis products.
Study Finds Marijuana Legalization Had Little Impact on Crime in Colorado or Washington
A comparison with other states finds "no statistically significant long-term effects" on violent or property crime rates.
New Study Complicates the Causes of Vaping-Related Lung Diseases
Mayo Clinic researchers say tissue samples from 17 patients were consistent with toxic exposure rather than lipoid pneumonia.
Federal Judge Rules Philly Injection Site Wouldn't Violate Drug Laws
A safe place meant to help prevent overdose deaths is not the same as a crackhouse.
Naloxone Can Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths. Why Isn't the FDA Allowing Over-the-Counter Sales?
Federal drug prohibition played a big role in creating the opioid crisis. Unfortunately, the government is also slowing the spread of one possible solution to it.
Indianapolis' Top Prosecutor Says He'll Stop Charging Simple Marijuana Possession
Marion County, Indiana, joins a growing list of jurisdictions where prosecutors are refusing to file charges for petty marijuana offenses.
The House Just Voted To Let Marijuana Businesses Legally Use Banks
It's a historic moment in Congress, but Senate support remains uncertain.
Historic House Vote Approves Broad Marijuana Federalism
This vote is "a hopeful sign that the harmful policies of marijuana prohibition will soon be a relic of the past."
Congress Plans To Vote on Marijuana Banking Bill Next Week
The SAFE Banking Act will be the first stand-alone marijuana legalization bill to reach the floor of the U.S. House.
V.I. Lenin, Psychedelic Mushroom
Friday A/V Club: A prank from the final days of the Soviet Union
Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Selling $31 of Marijuana Lands Back in Jail for Court Fees
Fines continued to pile up for almost a decade.
