Author Archives: Pete

This hilarious graphic was tweeted by Drug Free America. They haven’t provided any sources (even when asked), but hey – it has the word “FACT” on it so it must be true.

I almost hate to keep beating this horse… As you may recall, Mark Kleiman made some ridiculous ad hominem attacks on Jacob Sullum regarding discussion President Obama’s implication in an interview with Jake Tapper of CNN that he couldn’t reschedule … Continue reading →

Yes, that Congress… (via Jacob Sullum and Raw Story) “How many people die from marijuana overdoses every year?” Connolly asked. “I don’t know that I know. It is very rare,” Botticelli replied. “Very rare. Now just contrast that with prescription … Continue reading →

Decriminalization in DC — decrim vote expected today. $25 fine for marijuana possession. Former cop is ‘linchpin’ of campaign to legalize marijuana – nice profile of LEAP’s Neill Franklin The dangers of abstinence-based recovery programs – by David Nutt Did … Continue reading →

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s astonishing performances live on stage in both Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2003) and Death of a Salesman (2012), and I always found him a joy to watch in his … Continue reading →

Carl Hart has an outstanding piece in The Nation: How the Myth of the ‘Negro Cocaine Fiend’ Helped Shape American Drug Policy He talks about some of the early demonization: The author, a distinguished physician, wrote: “[The Negro fiend] imagines … Continue reading →

Anybody who’s been involved in marijuana policy during the past, oh, 42 years, knows about scheduling. Cannabis was placed into Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, provisionally, and, despite the Commission report which should have removed it, was left … Continue reading →

Congress warms up to research on hemp WASHINGTON — Hemp is a big winner in the new farm bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. While Congress has shown little interest in legalizing marijuana, members are warming … Continue reading →

No surprise: Obama Says Exactly Zero Words About Pot, Drug Policy Or Criminal Justice Reform in SOTU Drugs vs. the drug war: A response to Michael Gerson. Radley Balko hits it out of the park in this piece that starts … Continue reading →

One of the recurring themes I enjoyed on “The West Wing” was the big block of cheese day – an annual event where White House staff would hear concerns and ideas from citizens that normally would not get the government’s … Continue reading →