Category Archives: Uncategorized

In a sane society, an increase in arrests would be seen as a sign of failure. We treat it like scoring points in a basketball game and give out bonuses.

That’s Kevin Drum in Mother Jones: California’s Prison Disaster. A nice little piece about the prison mess A combination of dumb drug laws, dysfunctional parole policies, “three strikes” laws passed by initiative, an endless procession of tougher-than-thou politicians, and a … Continue reading →

Where do they get these people? Take the case of Bradley Schreiber. He “served as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is now president of Homeland Security Solutions.” His company (which may be just him … Continue reading →

I don’t watch Bill O’Reilly, for my own sanity, but Reddit had a link to this video from last night’s show — his Cultural Warriors segment. He was talking about Amsterdam. Some Americans (secular progressives) want to turn the USA … Continue reading →

[Guest post by Russ Belville] Marijuana legalization is the hottest topic in the media these days. MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, FOX, NatGeo, and CBS News have presented special features on marijuana business, medical marijuana, and the marijuana legalization movement. Google Trends … Continue reading →

Recently I was reading an opinion piece by an academic who, after demolishing the government’s position on marijuana, felt the need to admonish drug policy reformers for not fulfilling our obligation to inform people that marijuana is not harmless. First, … Continue reading →

“bullet” He just hasn’t been listening. “No one has told us what alternative we have,” said [Mexican] Interior Minister Fernando G÷mez Mont, gently slapping his palm on a table during an interview. “We are committed to enduring this wave of … Continue reading →

This article by Matthew Engel in yesterday’s Financial Times is a must-read. Really great stuff all around. For decades many academics and professionals have regarded the current blanket prohibition on recreational drugs (though not alcohol or tobacco) as absurd, counter-productive … Continue reading →

As a follow-up to the previous post… When they come out to brag about a successful operation that resulted in the arrest of some drug dealers, I’d like someone to ask: Why should we be excited about having more drug … Continue reading →

It’s very hard for some people to grasp the concept that a successful law enforcement operation may not actually end up providing a net benefit to society. In fact, in the drug war, successful law enforcement operations often cause significant … Continue reading →