The Democrats Should Not Be Presenting Houston's Police Chief As an Avatar of Reform
Trying to distract attention from the deadly corruption in his own department, Art Acevedo demands "action at the national level."
War on Drugs
Democratic Party Platform Calls for End to Drug War, But Not Really
Substituting drug courts for prosecution unfortunately still often leads to incarceration.
Florida Inmates Serving Outdated Drug Sentences Released Early Following Reason Investigation
A Florida prosecutor's office reviewed the cases and agreed to resentencing for nearly two dozen inmates, calling it "a matter of fundamental fairness."
Red-Pilled? Actually Most U.S. Drug Ingredients Are Made Here, Not in China
The Trump administration is spending big money to make sure America's drug supply chains aren't dependent on China. But that's not really necessary.
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.
Mike Pence Comes Out Against Marijuana Banking Bill That Would Actually Save Taxpayers Money
The SAFE Banking Act is not a pork-barrel spending bill. Is that why it’s struggling?
Kamala Harris Is So 'Radical,' Trump's Campaign Says, That She Criticized Joe Biden's Criminal Justice Record. So Does Trump.
Harris and Trump are both right that the Democratic nominee has a long record of championing draconian penalties.
Kamala Harris: Drug Warrior, Vice Cop, Draconian Prosecutor
Biden picked a V.P. candidate whose record on police and criminal justice reform is as terrible as his own.
The Cops Took This Guy's Car Because He Unwittingly Rented It to an Alleged Drug Dealer
Like other innocent owners, Manni Munir finds that fighting a civil forfeiture can cost more than the property is worth.
Grand Jury Indictments Paint a Picture of Deadly Deceit in Houston Narcotics Division
The charges, which grew out of a lethal 2019 raid based on a fraudulent search warrant affidavit, suggest that cops routinely built their cases on lies.
The Weed Warriors Who Mistook Tea for Marijuana
The Hartes were the victims of a comically inept publicity stunt executed by cops who did not realize that hydroponic equipment could be used to grow tomatoes and did not know what loose-leaf tea looked like.
Detroit Police Department Settles Another Dog Shooting Lawsuit After Video Contradicts Cop's Account
A 2016 Reason investigation found Detroit police have a nasty habit of shooting dogs during drug raids.
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.
Sen. Brian Schatz Says 'Libertarians Should Be Freaking Out About Portland.' Where Has He Been?
The Hawaii senator fails to fully consider the causes of bad policing.
Tennessee Reformed Its Harsh Drug-Free School Zone Laws. What About the Hundreds Still in Prison?
Inmates serving mandatory minimum sentences have been left behind.
This Florida Inmate Is Serving an Outdated Drug Sentence. Now He Has Coronavirus
Reason profiled William Forrester's 15-year mandatory minimum sentence in a 2017 investigation into Florida's draconian opioid trafficking laws.
Washington, D.C., Might Decriminalize Magic Mushrooms
The Decriminalize Nature D.C. initiative has gathered enough signatures to land on the ballot this November.
Phony Overtime, Fictional Drug Buys, and Mysterious C.I. Payments Offer a Glimpse of Houston Police Corruption
The charges against six narcotics officers reveal a culture of shady practices that led to a deadly drug raid.
New Charges and Audit Results Reveal Widespread Laxness and Corruption in the Houston Narcotics Division That Killed an Innocent Couple
Contrary to what Police Chief Art Acevedo seems to think, his department has a systemic problem.
Touching Your Phone While Driving Is Now Illegal in Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana
Plus: More (bad, weird, and occasionally good) new state laws that start taking effect today.
Want to Reform the Criminal Justice System? End the Drug War.
Drug prohibition increases conflict between citizens and the police.
Drugs and Ammo
A look at war through the lens of the performance enhancers that help make it possible
RIP Lester Grinspoon, Who Encouraged Americans To Reconsider Demonized Drugs
For half a century, Grinspoon tirelessly advocated a more rational and tolerant approach to marijuana and other psychoactive substances.
Glenn Loury: 'We're Being Swept Along by Hysteria' About Racism in America
The Brown University economist and outspoken critic of Black Lives Matter discusses George Floyd, social progress, and the state of political discourse.
Breonna Taylor and the Moral Bankruptcy of Drug Prohibition
She would still be alive if politicians did not insist on using violence to enforce their pharmacological prejudices.
Was the Search Warrant for the Drug Raid That Killed Breonna Taylor Illegal?
The information in the no-knock warrant application was based purely on guilt by association.
'People Should Have the Fundamental Right To Change Their Consciousness'
Rick Doblin, a leading force in America's psychedelic renaissance, imagines a world of "mass mental health" facilitated by formerly demonized drugs.
7 Race-Neutral Solutions to Racially Skewed Law Enforcement
These reforms would protect all Americans while reducing racial disparities in policing.
Louisville Moves to Fire Police Officer Involved in Breonna Taylor Shooting
The department says the officer "displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life" when he "blindly fired 10 rounds" into Taylor's apartment.
Armed Agents of the State Shouldn't Be Enforcing Traffic Laws
Interactions between the public and the police should be kept to a minimum.
The War on Drugs Drug Spurred America's Current Policing Crisis
Police strategies have changed dramatically in the past few decades—and not because of soaring crime. America's War on Drugs is a prime culprit.
Tennessee Passes Drug-Free School Zone Reforms Following Reason Investigation
The harsh laws covered large swaths of Tennessee's cities in enhanced sentencing zones and locked away minor drug offenders for years.
New Louisiana Law Will Let Doctors Decide When Marijuana Is Right for Their Patients
While there are still numerous barriers to access in Louisiana's medical marijuana system, a specific list of "qualifying conditions" will no longer be one of them.
Adler v. Larkin on Marijuana Federalism
A podcast debate and discussion about the virtues and vices of Marijuana Federalism.
The Libertarian Roots of Police Reform: Q&A with Radley Balko
How to stop police killings and enact real, lasting reforms.
'It's Not Easy Doing Time in Here': Michael Thompson Shouldn't Die in Jail for Pot Crimes
Michael Thompson is serving a 40- to 60-year sentence for a pot crime in a state where both recreational and medicinal marijuana are currently legal
Treating Mental Illness With Care, Not Punishment, Goes Beyond Defunding Police
We need to remove all the ways that government deters people from seeking treatment.
Houston Police Chief's Record Belies His Reformist Rhetoric After George Floyd's Death
If Art Acevedo had any shame, he would be engaging in less grandstanding and more introspection.
3 Libertarian Tips for the #DefundPolice Movement
Reducing law enforcement requires more than merely cutting and shifting a budget.
Hydroxychloroquine 'Is Not a Treatment for COVID-19. It Doesn't Work.'
The antimalarial drug is being removed from United Kingdom's RECOVERY trial evaluating COVID-19 therapies.
The Lancet's Hydroxychloroquine Study Is Retracted by Its Authors
The observational dataset on which it was based could not be properly audited.
Does That Malaria Medicine Work on COVID-19 After All?
A major study in The Lancet said it doesn't—but it may have relied on fabricated data.
As COVID-19 Spread, the Department of Justice Cracked Down on Immigration and Drugs
It was business as usual for federal prosecutors.
The FDA Is Stunting the Growth of America's Nascent Legal Hemp Industry
The hemp boom has failed to materialize, and regulatory uncertainty is to blame.
At Angola, Coronavirus Turns Life Without Parole for Selling Weed Into a Potential Death Sentence
Fate Vincent Winslow, who has never committed a violent crime, fears catching coronavirus in prison.
Prosecutors Back Dismissal of 91 More Cases Involving the Houston Cop Who Lied to Justify a Deadly Drug Raid
The announcement brings the total number of suspect cases initiated by Gerald Goines to 164 over 11 years.
