Politics + Legalization

We Need to Reduce the Harms of Draconian Tobacco Policies

Harm reduction shouldn’t just seek to reduce the harm caused by drugs, but also the harm caused by drug policies,” tweeted…

December 17, 2018

Trump’s Latest Rabid Tweet: “Death Penalty for Distributors and Pushers, the Results Will Be Incredible!”

A little before 9 am on December 5, President Trump tweeted the following about his recent fentanyl agreement with China: One…

December 5, 2018

The Rage of Overdose Grief Makes It All Too Easy to Misdirect Blame

It was 4:45 am on March 13, 2016. My phone was ringing over and over, and there was loud banging.…

December 5, 2018

How a Kratom Ban Will Create Health Risks and Suffering—and Fuel Terrorism

In recent weeks Washington has been stepping up its efforts to delegitimize kratom—and a DEA source tells Filter that it’s…

November 30, 2018

New Jersey’s Exciting Marijuana Legalization Package Misses Some Social Justice Opportunities

New Jersey could soon become the first state to legalize cannabis through a legislative vote—rather than a popular vote, as…

November 27, 2018

Russia Leads Anti-Drug Bloc’s Condemnation of Canadian Cannabis Legalization

Canada's legalization of cannabis, which took effect in October, was never going to please everyone. In a statement at the…

November 16, 2018

Meet America’s New Most Reform-Minded DA: A Q&A With Rachael Rollins

In the mid-1990s, Joseph P. Overton—a senior vice president at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy—observed that no matter how…

November 9, 2018

What Will Be the Implications of Jeff Sessions’ Exit?

The day after the midterm elections saw Republicans cede control of the House of Representatives, President Trump fired Attorney General…

November 8, 2018

The Marijuana Prohibition Movement Fails to Condemn Anti-Semitism in Its Ranks

I am still reeling after the mass shooting targeting the Jewish community in Pittsburgh last month. But perhaps I shouldn’t…

November 8, 2018

Drug Policy Reform Inched Forward in the Midterms: Here Are the Details

Broadly as expected, Democrats flipped the House in the midterm elections, while Republicans strengthened their grip on the Senate. Many…

November 7, 2018