Author Archives: Pete

This weekend, Rafael LeMaitre tweeted about a new Presidential proclamation, saying: POTUS: Impaired drivers involved in nearly 1/3 of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the U.S., taking almost 30 lives each day. Here is the actual Presidential Proclamation … Continue reading →

In 2005, RAND published How Goes the “War on Drugs”? An Assessment of U.S. Drug Problems and Policy by Jonathan P. Caulkins, Peter H. Reuter, Martin Y. Iguchi, James Chiesa. Its claim: Presents a concise, accessible, objective view of where … Continue reading →

This is a very positive sign… Leaked paper reveals UN split over war on drugs Major international divisions over the global “war on drugs” have been revealed in a leaked draft of a UN document setting out the organisation’s long-term … Continue reading →

Here’s an interesting data point that may have some real significance. It’s possible that we’re reaching a point where even politicians are hesitating when it comes to new prohibitions. Theresa May humiliated as MPs reject call to ban khat Theresa … Continue reading →

Prohibition: a set of laws that harm everybody based on the false assumption that they’ll prevent a small minority from harming themselves. … And this, of course, identifies the hole in the policy approach of S.A.M. and Kevin Sabet that … Continue reading →

Back when think-tanks in the U.S. were claiming that it wasn’t even worth talking about drug legalization because it wasn’t likely to happen, Transform in the UK was hard at work putting out the extraordinary After the War on Drugs: … Continue reading →

There are a lot of industries related to prohibition that are full of corruption and that put self-interest above value to society. One that is not discussed sufficiently is the treatment industry. We all recognize that there are people who … Continue reading →

Billionaire Peter Lewis, Advocate Of Marijuana Legalization, Dies At 80 “Our marijuana laws are outdated, ineffective and stupid,” Lewis told Forbes in a 2011 interview. “I am a progressive by birth, by nature, by philosophy—that’s the name of the insurance … Continue reading →

So good to see Nick Gillespie’s OpEd in Time: What’s So Bad About Casual Drug Use? But in an age in which we are expected to use legal drugs (like beer) and prescription medications (Adderall) responsibly, it’s time to extend … Continue reading →

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) has been one of the good organizations out there making a difference. I’ve been to a couple of their conferences and know a number of their members, and I’ve been faculty advisor of a … Continue reading →