Trump's Messy Pardon Spree Left Too Many Behind. Biden Must Do Better.
Criminal justice groups say Biden should move the pardon process out of the Justice Department and consider categorical clemencies.
War on Drugs
Civil Forfeiture Does Not Seem To Reduce Drug Use or Help Fight Crime
A new study provides further evidence that property seizures are driven by financial motives rather than public safety concerns.
Judge Threatens to Jail North Carolina Town Officials for Seizing Man's Money, Refusing To Return It
A misdemeanor marijuana charge leads to an attempt to take $17,000.
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.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Fights Voters and Lawmakers Who Want To End the War on Weed
After getting a ballot initiative voided, she says she’ll also resist legislators attempting to legalize marijuana.
The Zoom Cat Lawyer Used Federal Agents To Torment a Former Lover With Drug Raids and Bogus Charges
In 2014, Reason reported on the misbehavior of Rod Ponton, who has suddenly risen to internet stardom after being unable to turn off an adorable filter during an online legal case.
Judge Tosses Out South Dakota Ballot Initiative Legalizing Recreational Marijuana
Voters approved it, but the governor resisted. A court came down on her side.
'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.
The Mushroom Moment Manifesto
Contemporary psychonauts are looking for insight, relief, fun, escape, and a million other things to make their lives more interesting and bearable.
Indiana Argues That the State Should Be Able To Take Everything You Own if You Commit a Drug Crime
The state used civil asset forfeiture to seize Tyson Timbs' car in 2013. His nightmare hasn't ended.
Virginia's on the Verge of Legalizing Marijuana
If passed, the bill would allow for legal possession by July 1.
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.
'See Something, Say Something Online Act' Punishes Big Tech for Not Snitching
Plus: Oregon decriminalizes hard drugs, Kroger closes stores over hazard pay rule, and more...
A Practical Wish List for Joe Biden
Some doable libertarian ideas for the new president
The Dakota Entrapment Tapes
The new documentary hammers home the senselessness of the war on drugs.
Two Federal Lawsuits Say the Houston Police Department's Culture of Corruption and Impunity Killed an Innocent Couple
The families of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas say the city's policies and practices invited Fourth Amendment violations.
The Houston Cop Charged With Murdering Dennis Tuttle During a Disastrous Drug Raid Portrays His Victim As the Aggressor
After breaking into Tuttle's home with no legal justification, police killed his dog and his wife.
Presidential Mercy Is a Woefully Inadequate Remedy for Injustice
The controversy over Trump’s pardons and commutations highlights longstanding problems with clemency.
Another Houston Cop Is Indicted for Murder Because of a 2019 Drug Raid That Killed a Middle-Aged Couple
So far a dozen narcotics officers have been charged as a result of the investigation triggered by the disastrous operation.
Rock Legend Frank Zappa Battles Censorship, Communism, and Conformity in a New Documentary
Alex Winter's new film celebrates the Rock Hall of Famer's individualism, anti-authoritarianism, and entrepreneurship.
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.
A Letter From a Florida Inmate Asked for Help. It Arrived Too Late.
Theresa Mathis was in the middle of a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence when she sent Reason a letter asking for help.
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...
Freeing People Who Don't Belong in Prison Is Praiseworthy, No Matter Trump's Motives
The president's final batch of clemency actions includes commutations for dozens of nonviolent drug offenders.
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."
Alex Winter: Frank Zappa's Ultra-Individualist Legacy
The rock legend fought for free speech and self-expression in ways that appealed to dissidents in America and communist countries alike.
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.
The Risk of Arrest for Cannabis Consumers Is Shrinking
Nationwide, marijuana arrests peaked at nearly 873,000 in 2007; the 2019 number was 37 percent lower.
Increases in Opioid-Related Deaths Show That Drug Warriors (Including Biden) Have No Idea What They're Doing
After a slight drop in 2018, fatalities involving opioids jumped last year, setting a new record that is apt to be broken this year.
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
2 More Cops Involved in Breonna Taylor's Death Receive Termination Letters
Louisville's police chief wants to fire an officer who shot Taylor and a detective who "lied" in the search warrant affidavit.
Trump Gets None of His Demands in the Spending Bill but Signs It Into Law Anyway
Plus: Europeans are just as inclined toward "conspiracy thinking" as Americans, D.C. decriminalizes "drug paraphernalia," and more...
Sally Satel: The Secret History of the Opioid Epidemic
The story of why pain relievers took root in Appalachia begins decades before the introduction of OxyContin.
Why President Trump Should Free Ross Ulbricht
The Silk Road’s creator has a lot to teach drug prohibitionists.
I Got To Inform a Person That Trump Granted Her Clemency. So Many Others Deserve That Good News Too.
Trump's clemencies last night surprised a lot of people—including one of the recipients. Clemency advocates are confident more are on the way.
To Protect 'Children' From E-Cigarettes, Congress Imposes New Restrictions on Everything Related to Vaping of Any Kind
The law bans mail delivery of vaping products and requires all vendors to comply with burdensome tax reporting rules.
Trump's Latest Round of Pardons Includes George Papadopoulos, GOP Congressmen, Blackwater Guards
Full pardons were given to the four contractors convicted of murdering Iraqis in a firefight in Baghdad.
The Ultimate 2020 Libertarian Gift Guide
Reason's writers and editors share their suggestions for what you should be buying your friends and family this year.
Biden Should Strive To Be Better Than Both Trump and Obama on Central America
The administration’s approach should discourage the drug war, encourage immigration.
Proposed Banking Rule Change Would Upend Oppressive 'Operation Chokepoint' Tactics
Protected financial access for politically targeted industries
Why Thomas Massie Is Wrong About the Pot Legalization Bill
Yes, taxes and regulation are bad. No, they're not worse than locking people up.
Drugs Declare Victory in War on Drugs
States where recreational use has been legalized now include about a third of the U.S. population.
For the First Time Ever, the House Votes To Repeal the Federal Ban on Marijuana
The bill is unlikely to make headway in the Senate, but it could nudge President-elect Joe Biden toward more ambitious reforms.
