Drugs + Money

Correctional Phone Service Collects Biometric Data of People Who Talk With Prisoners–And Shares It With Law Enforcement

Phone and video calls between incarcerated people and those on the outside are never private. The content of such calls…

January 29, 2019

Why Crystal Meth Has Made a Big Comeback in Philadelphia

Meth! Meth, crystal. Who wants meth?” shouted a middle-aged man in a parka earlier this month. He had situated himself…

January 22, 2019

What’s Taking So Long for Naloxone to Be Made Available Over the Counter?

Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose within minutes. Prompt access would prevent many of the 130 opioid-related deaths that occur…

January 18, 2019

Inside Brooklyn’s First Medical Cannabis Dispensary

I'm greeted by an employee sporting a crisp button-down and a dotted blue bow tie. Petite succulent plants decorate the…

January 17, 2019

Would You Pay More for Fair Trade Cocaine?

[This article was co-written with Zara Snapp and Julian Quintero.] People spend more per gram on cocaine than any other…

December 5, 2018

How to Involve People Who Use Drugs in Your Organization

Advocates at the Drugs Research Network Scotland conference in Glasgow this week circulated a striking two-page pamphlet: "How to Involve People…

November 29, 2018

Here’s How Infuriatingly Hard It Still Is to Get Medical Marijuana in New York

The sciatica pain jolting down my right leg was so severe that it was hard for me to function. All…

November 27, 2018

Insurance Company to Non-Rich Heart Transplant Patient: Try Crowdfunding!

Patients in the financially segregated US healthcare system are frequently forced to raise money from friends, family and strangers to…

November 26, 2018

El Chapo’s Trial Solves Nothing: The “Freelancer Effect” Applies Everywhere

It’s 1985. Law enforcement is closing in on the last remnants of the South Philadelphia fiefdom of mob boss Nicodemo…

November 20, 2018

“Like Restricting Clean Needles”—Advocates Slam Age-Verification Plan for Under-Fire Juul

On November 13, JUUL Labs, the company behind America's most popular vaping product, announced a stringent new online age-verification system.…

November 14, 2018