Rachel Nuwer: MDMA Is On the Cusp of Legalization
In 2024, the FDA will decide whether or not MDMA can be used to treat patients suffering from PTSD.
Drugs
12 Senators Urge the DEA To Legalize Marijuana, Which Only Congress Can Do
Under the Controlled Substances Act, the agency does not have the discretion to "deschedule marijuana altogether."
A New Pain Medication Could Reinforce the Disastrous Crackdown on Prescription Opioids
When the government is systematically interfering with medical decisions, a non-opioid alternative may not actually increase treatment options.
The Newly Unveiled HHS Rationale for Rescheduling Marijuana Underlines Drug Warriors' Dishonesty
The points about marijuana's risks and benefits that the department now concedes were clear long before last August.
Let Elon Musk Enjoy Drugs
Intoxicants might be a source of problems—or enhance our ability to cope.
It's Not a Cigarette. It's Not a Vape. And It's Big in Japan.
Heated tobacco products are coming to America, at long last. How will they change the landscape for smokers and prohibitionists?
Guns, Germs, and Drugs Are Largely Responsible for the Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy
The Washington Post hectors Congress to make U.S. life expectancy a "political priority."
Newsom Nixes Psychedelic Decriminalization and Cannabis Cafés
Gavin Newsom supported a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in California but rejected a social consumption measure.
In 2024, Teens Will Get Pregnant in Driverless Cars
Plus: State officials attempt to ban Donald Trump from 2024 election ballots.
Here's Why Charity Is Better at Solving Problems Than Government
Big government has been ruinous for millions of people. Charities aren't perfect, but they are much more efficient and effective.
'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
Biden Expands Pardons for Marijuana Possession
It's a commendable, but very modest, expansion of a step he took last year.
Biden Expands Pardons for Low-Level Federal Marijuana Offenders
The pardons freed no prisoners, but the White House says they will ease the burden of a criminal record.
Review: Scarface Shows How Prohibition Leads to Violence
Tony Montana has a bloody rags-to-riches story.
This Year's Libertarian Gift Guide: 23 Ideas for 2023
In today's innovative economy, there's no excuse for sending a gift card. The staff at Reason is here with some inspiration.
How a Law No One Understands Brought Down Florida Drug 'Kingpins'
Jordan S. Rubin's Bizarro tells the story of the men who tried and failed to challenge the government's arbitrary rules on synthetic drugs.
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.
DeSantis Gets Sex Trafficking Wrong at GOP Debate
"We're going to build a wall...I am not going to sit there and let sex trafficking go unabated," DeSantis said.
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.
A Los Angeles Jail Let a Woman Die of Withdrawal, Then a Coroner Allowed Her Body To Decompose
“I couldn’t believe it was my baby,” Amanda Bews' mother said. "She looked like she was mummified."
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.
Mississippi Makes It a Crime to Advertise Legal Medical Marijuana Businesses
Clarence Cocroft filed a lawsuit this week challenging the state's virtual ban on advertising medical marijuana businesses, arguing the law violates his First Amendment rights.
The 'Monster' Isn't the Drug, It's the Prohibition
Intoxicating drugs never do as much damage as the laws that impotently attempt to eradicate them.
The Two-Party System Abides
Plus: A listener asks the editors why the Libertarian Party waits until election year to nominate its presidential candidate.
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.
Civil Forfeiture Defendants Have the Right to a Jury Trial, Says the Indiana Supreme Court
That prosecutors in the Hoosier State successfully denied people this due process is a reflection of how abusive civil forfeiture can be.
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.
How Vexatious Government Demands Can Lead Your Bank To Refuse To Do Business with You
The government treats its endless appetite for information about citizens as more important than people's ability to conduct business in a normal fashion.
Matthew Perry, Drug Abuse, and Prohibition
The death of the Friends star should remind us of the costs of the war on drugs.
Review: When a Fentanyl Thief Slipped Through the Cracks, Women Suffered
A New York Times podcast tells a story about both the drug war and institutional incompetence.
Take It From Brazil, Biden's Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Cigars Will Be a Disaster
Brazil now has one of the largest cigarette markets in the world, despite its efforts to rid the country of cigarettes through prohibition.
Meth-Laced Halloween Candy Is a Very Unlikely Danger for Kids
These kinds of poisonings are rare to nonexistent.
President Trump Freed Drug Offenders. Candidate Trump Wants To Kill Them.
The FIRST STEP Act signed by Trump eased drug sentencing. He's running away from that accomplishment in the 2024 election.
Shane Mauss: Finding the Humor in Psychedelics
The psychedelic comedian talks cognitive liberty and the mind-blowing pace of legalization efforts.
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 Sindex: Price of Booze Away From Home Up 6.6 Percent Since 2022
The Reason Sindex tracks the price of vice: smoking, drinking, snacking, traveling, and more.
Minnesota's Top Court Rebukes Cops Who Searched a Car After Claiming To Smell Pot That Wasn't There
In light of the state's marijuana reforms, the court says, the odor of weed is not enough to establish probable cause.
Weed Is Legal in Illinois. Police Searched His Car Anyway.
An officer conducted the search of Prentiss Jackson's vehicle after claiming he could smell "a little bit of weed." It ultimately resulted in a lengthy prison term.
