Tag: War on Drugs
How and why the war on drugs has failed
March 21, 2024 | Post
In this article, we’ll dissect the failures of the war on drugs, seeking to uncover the factors that have led to its ultimate downfall, as well as diverse arguments for ending the war on drugs and embracing legalization.
Dr. Tom G. Palmer on responsibility and freedom
December 12, 2023 | Post
Responsibility: For some the word conjures up images of old people lecturing young people about sitting up straight, doing their homework, and writing thank-you notes to elderly aunts.
Unsurprisingly, we’re expected to think it’s boring, tedious, a diversion from our enjoyment of our freedom. The goal of freedom, the images suggest, is to escape responsibilities.
In fact, embracing responsibility is neither boring, nor tedious, nor a diversion from freedom.
Why (and how) the war on drugs has failed
August 22, 2023 | Post
In each instance, the state’s attempts to prohibit drugs not only failed but significantly worsened the problem. Prohibition created room for a monopoly, as drug traffickers who dared to maintain their production quickly took control of the entire market of the prohibited substance.
The reality of the War on Drugs: one Alaskan town’s experience
June 20, 2023 | Post
The war on drugs has been an abject failure and has led to immense suffering. Here, we look at the experience of one town in Alaska…
Up in smoke: why new restrictions on vaping products are not about public health
May 23, 2023 | Post
Australia’s new ban on single use and non-prescription ‘vapes’ will stretch enforcement and health agencies, give rise to an already rampant black market, and force vapers back onto expensive and harmful cigarettes.
The right drug policy: legalize and educate
April 26, 2023 | Post
Decriminalization, as we define it today, removes the penalty for simple possession of drugs, but still enforces penalties on individuals found selling or trafficking.This policy is certainly better than prohibition and will undoubtedly save countless lives. However, it does maintain the worst problems created by prohibition. Here’s why the right drug policy is to legalize and educate…
Expert answers on the Drug War: highlights from Prof. Jeff Miron’s AMA
April 7, 2023 | Post
In 2017, Professor Jeffrey Miron held an “Ask Me Anything” conversation on Reddit as part of the Learn Liberty Reddit AMA Series.
The conversation focused on Dr. Miron’s 30+ years of study on the effects of drug criminalization. Check out some of the highlights…
What is the future of psychedelics?
February 16, 2023 | Post
To talk about the future of psychedelics, it’s important to know a few things about the past. For the entirety of recorded history, man has used plants to alter his consciousness. Every civilization that we know of, besides those living in barren arctic climates, have used some form of plant or fungus to explore their mind…
Which states accept out-of-state medical marijuana cards in 2023?
January 10, 2023 | Post
Which states allow for the use of out-of-state medical marijuana cards in 2023? Learn about the process involved in obtaining a card and the different state regulations individuals must then navigate…
Biden’s pardon of those convicted of marijuana possession is a huge step
October 7, 2022 | Post
President Biden has made the momentous decision to issue a pardon for all those convicted under federal law for possession of marijuana. This long overdue course of action is a huge step in the right direction.
What do libertarians and progressives have in common?
August 22, 2022 | Post
While libertarians and progressives perpetually remain miles apart on economics, the sovereignty of the individual, and the proper role of the state, we should not deny ourselves opportunities to build partnerships, make friends, and advance the cause of liberty wherever possible.
Reddit AMA with Professor Jeffrey Miron of Harvard University
August 4, 2017 | Post
Dr. Miron has written over 100 op-eds and several books, including Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition (2004) and Libertarianism: from A to Z (2010).
Civil asset forfeiture: resist, reform, repeal
March 15, 2017 | Post
Whether you’re on the right or the left, if you care about civil rights, property rights, or liberty, abolishing civil asset forfeiture should be high on your agenda.
5 weird ways Prohibition still exists today
January 25, 2017 | Post
Prohibition was repealed more than 80 years ago, but we’re still feeling its policy hangover.
President Trump's 6 biggest threats to liberty
January 20, 2017 | Post
Donald Trump is president. Here are his six biggest threats to liberty.
The right drug policy: decriminalize and discourage
November 18, 2016 | Post
Drug prohibition has failed, but legalizing harder drugs is not the solution.
Sobering up: Why the war on marijuana should be over soon
November 5, 2016 | Post
Here’s the current state of marijuana legalization efforts around the country.
If you support legalizing weed, you should also support legalizing crack
November 2, 2016 | Post
The logic for legalizing marijuana holds true for legalizing “hard drugs” as well.
Every 25 seconds: Human Rights Watch and the ACLU document more harms from drug prohibition
October 26, 2016 | Post
A new report from the ACLU and Human Rights Watch details many of the harms associated with the criminalization of drug possession. The most striking finding from the report is that police in the United States arrest more people for marijuana offenses than for all violent crimes combined. The title of the report, “Every 25 […]
What You Missed: Week of 10/14
October 14, 2016 | Post
Stranger Things, anarchist Spaniards, and Edward Snowden.
The Legacy of President Obama's Pardon Power
October 3, 2016 | Post
So far, in 2016, he has granted 493. Consequently, the President’s current total for commutations (673 – almost all for drug offenders) is greater than that of several of his predecessors combined and more than any single president has granted since Calvin Coolidge.
Improving Grand Juries
September 30, 2016 | Post
The ballooning prison population in the U.S. implies that there’s a certain ease of obtaining an indictment from grand juries. Here are some modest proposals to reform grand juries to make obtaining indictments more difficult.
What Cannabis Activism And Free Speech Activism Have in Common
September 29, 2016 | Post
The freedom to express ourselves implies a freedom to imbibe potentially harmful substances.
Debate Recap: How Did Trump and Clinton Perform?
September 27, 2016 | Post
Learn Liberty reviews the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.