Six Marijuana Legalization Lessons
What have policy makers learned since Colorado became the first state to allow recreational use in 2012?
Topics
America's Forever War Sputters Out
It is easy to be indifferent to a war if you are oblivious to its costs.
Biden Continues Trump Seizures of Private Land for Border Wall
"We thought President Joe Biden would protect us. Now we've lost our land. We don't even know what comes next," says Baudilia Cavazos.
SCOTUS Revisits Gun Control
"The Second Amendment does not exist to protect only the rights of the happy few who distinguish themselves from the body of 'the people' through some 'proper cause.'"
The Bill Will Come Due on Biden's Trillions
Biden's infrastructure package is really a jackpot for public unions and big business.
Camping Liberates Kids and Parents
Something about camping seems to turn 21st century worriers into parents with positively Spielbergian nonchalance.
The Budget Reconciliation Battle Is a Procedural Power Grab
By effectively casting aside the filibuster while technically leaving it in place, Democrats can maintain the pretense that they played by the rules.
Humans Defeat A.I. in Debate. For Now.
An IBM team led by A.I. researcher Noam Slonim has devised a system that does not merely answer questions; it debates the questioners.
Against National Unity
Americans are divided not because politicians failed to pronounce the correct phrases, but because we genuinely disagree on questions of public policy, justice, and identity.
Kinder, Gentler Family Separation?
Biden has yet to deliver on his promise that he'd be better than both Trump and Obama on immigration.
No More Traffic Cops
Returning traffic enforcement and criminal law enforcement to their proper spheres could put both police and drivers at ease.
State Legislators Want to Nullify Federal Gun Control
State legislators across the country are working to weaken the enforcement of federal gun laws by emulating immigration activists.
Biden's Infrastructure Plan Confuses Costs for Benefits
The president is doubling down on bad regulations that raise labor and material costs of federal infrastructure projects.
Gorsuch Pushes Stronger Fourth Amendment Protections
Can a cop enter a suspect's home without a warrant if they're in pursuit and have probable cause to believe the suspect has committed a misdemeanor?
A New Kind of Cannabis License in Colorado
A rare opportunity to get a license plate that says "BONG" on it
Don't Try To Fix Big Tech With Politics
I don't know the correct level of content moderation by Facebook, Twitter, Google, or Amazon, and neither do you.
Sports Betting Pays Off
The first major intersection of college basketball and legal sports betting seems to have been a completely clean affair.
On Pot Legalization, Biden Offers Only Inaction
The new administration does not appear to be interested in addressing the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws.
'Hero Pay' for Grocery Workers Is Terrible for Grocery Workers
Laws which mandate big wage increases for workers during the pandemic are leaving store closures in their wake.
There's Nothing Modern About MMT
Similar measures have been tried before, right here in America, and they have worked. But that's actually not good news for MMT fans today.
Photo: Fun With Frozen Ferrets
Elizabeth Ann, a black-footed ferret, was cloned from cells of another ferret that were cryopreserved at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Frozen Zoo.
An $86 Billion Moral Hazard
Nestled in the $1.9 trillion emergency spending bill passed in March was a bailout for unions' private pension funds.
Section 230 Haters Aren't Going Away
Though Trump is gone, the desire to bend the internet toward partisan goals is alive and well.
Congressional Democrats Waffle on Qualified Immunity
Cops say they can't function without qualified immunity, while their supporters on the right say abolishing it would be a step toward defunding the police. Neither claim is true.
The Pandemic Will Make Kids or Break Them
During a pandemic, as always, life is about balancing risks, not eliminating them.
Refusing To Show ID Is Not a Crime
George Wingate, who had pulled over on the side of the road to check an engine light, flatly refused to show his ID when a sheriff's deputy demanded it.
It's Too Bad We Can't Fire More Governors
Citizens should be able to punish elected officials who have done an extraordinarily bad job rather than be forced to count on elected legislators to do the heavy lifting.
Judges Stick Up for Asset Forfeiture Victim
When officers searched Jermaine Sanders' car, they found less than half an ounce of marijuana and seized $17,000 of his money.
When Fighting 'Misinformation' Is Really Fighting Free Speech
There is no "fake news" exception to the First Amendment.
When Politics Makes It Impossible To Plan
For more than a decade, politicians have moved toward seizing short-term wins through any mechanism available to them.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo Clings to His Pedestal
"Incompetent government kills people," he said in January.
'See Something, Say Something' Returns
A new bill repurposes the war on terror's pro-snitching mantra by requiring that tech companies share user data with the federal government.
Americans Overpay for Biden's 'Buy American' Plan
These rules drive up costs and distort markets while letting politicians claim credit for defending domestic industries from foreign competition.
A Phony Warrant, a Deadly Drug Raid, and a Barrel of Bad Apples in Houston
Did the city's "policies, customs or practices," invite Fourth Amendment violations?
Self-Destructing Mosquitoes
Oxitec has genetically engineered mosquitoes that pass a self-destruct code to all of their female offspring.
Can Schools Punish Kids for Off-Campus Snapchats?
"The notion that a school can discipline a student for that kind of...non-harassing expression is contrary to our First Amendment tradition."
Biden Chooses Cronyism Over Letting Puerto Rico Rebuild
The Jones Act shields the American shipping industry from foreign competition and harms both the environment and disadvantaged communities.
How Economists Learned to Love Minimum Wage Hikes
Would raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour cost jobs?
Hopes Dashed for Democracy in Myanmar
The nation's brief respite from military rule came to an abrupt end on February 1.
The No-Fly List Is a Civil Liberties Nightmare
Existing laws are more than adequate to handle the Capitol rioters.
Abolish the FDA
The role of the state is to protect rights and guard against fraud, not to prevent people from making risky choices.
Reading, Writing, 'Rithmetic, and Zero About Jobs
Perhaps young people would be better served by having access to more job sampling opportunities.
Africa Tries Free Trade
Liberal ideas are beginning to gain traction on the world's poorest continent.
Say No to More COVID-19 Relief Spending
The scale of the current relief efforts means that many Americans received more income during this pandemic than they did before it.
Assange Avoids Extradition—For Now
Under the First Amendment, the question of whether Assange qualifies as a legitimate journalist is irrelevant.
