Much has been written about the War on Drugs, especially its disastrous effects on the life of individuals, the economy, and the growth of the police state. All of this is caused by society’s need to reduce the use of
War on Drugs 
The worst that can happen to you for committing a nonviolent marijuana crime, around the World
Everyone knows different countries treat drugs differently. For example, if you get caught buying or selling a large amount of marijuana in Canada, you’re probably not going to get your head chopped off by the government-but in Saudi Arabia, that is the law.
Police Piracy
Reprinted from Casey Research Christmas came early to a Midwest sheriff’s department. While back in Abilene, Kansas to see family, I read a story reported by an old high school friend, titled “Dickinson County Sheriff Office could benefit from forfeiture.”
One-Dimensional Thinking on Drug Legalization
The libertarian movement is often dismissed as consisting of a bunch of hippy stoners who just want to take drugs and do whatever they want. Of course, this is an unfair and untrue generalization that ignores the centuries of political
Crony Phony Drug War
Reprinted from the Freeman The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the FedEx Corp. pleaded not guilty in a San Francisco federal court “on 15 charges related to transporting painkillers and other prescription drugs that had been sold illegally.” The
How Smugglers Made America
Reprinted from Mises.org [Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America by Peter Andreas, Oxford University Press, 2013.] Whenever I receive a book to review that is written by some hotshot ivy leaguer, I brace myself for all the deception and tomfoolery
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The “Free” Market in Marijuana
Washington may have recently become the second State to legalize marijuana sales, but that doesn’t mean selling weed has gotten any easier. A myriad of regulations have all but frozen some willing entrepreneurs into a state of inaction, fearful of
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In Defense of the Silk Road
Reprinted from Liberty.me Remember Napster? It was a solution that was strangled by government. But this action killed nothing. It started a new era of file sharing and online music distribution that has changed the dynamic of the world economy.
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Just Let the Market Work
Nearing the end of World War II, Keynesian-minded economists freaked out. The wage and price controls put in place to bolster the war effort were soon coming to an end. Paul Samuelson, the economist who unleashed the crazed thinking of
The Economics of the MMPR
A court-ruled injunction means medical marijuana patients and growers can still operate under the old MMAR laws. Even though as of April 1st, the new MMPR laws have taken effect, meaning that medical marijuana can only be obtained through the
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How the Drug War Failed Philip Seymour Hoffman
Reprinted from Mises.org Now that sufficient time has passed since the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, it is time to assess if there is anything positive that we can learn from this tragic and horrific event. Some questions may never
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Some Thoughts on the Latest Medical Marijuana Mayhem
We can all sleep safe and sound tonight knowing that Health Canada and the RCMP are working to ensure “public safety.” In two weeks, 37,000 licensed marijuana growers will effectively become criminals when the new medical marijuana law takes effect.
The Economic Harm of Prohibition
According to the United Nations, cannabis, the plant from which marijuana is derived, is the most widely used, produced and trafficked drug. Governments across the globe have invested heavily in fighting drug production and consumption. Notwithstanding, even though the war
Some Pros of MMPR
MMPR stands for Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. This is the so-called “free market” in medical marijuana delivery. On April 1st it will officially replace the MMAR (Marihuana Medical Access Regulations) by restricting the supply of marijuana growers to designated
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Alcohol Versus Pot Debate Asks the Wrong Question
In a recent interview in the New Yorker, President Barack Obama, whose proclivity for engaging in illegal drug use has been well-documented, went on record as saying that he thinks smoking marijuana is less harmful to the individual than drinking
Decriminalize or Legalize?
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was on “The Sports Junkies” a US-based sports radio show. One of the topics that came up was marijuana legalization. A marijuana user himself, Ford questions why the Conservatives don’t at least try to draw a
Drug Gangs and Private Law
In a previous post, I responded to a claim (made by Gene Callahan in this instance, but it is quite common) that we can see “private law” in action by looking at the operation of real-world drug cartels. In the
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Where Are the Rothbardian Defense Agencies?
For some time now, I have thought that a standard libertarian argument against Drug Prohibition ironically supported statism. In a recent blog post, Gene Callahan (author of an excellent introduction to Austrian economics) illustrated my point perfectly: Callahan pointed to
The “Free Market” Medical Marijuana Industry
Government is the antithesis of a free market. Governments, by definition, use coercion to extract funds while the market relies on voluntary exchange. So while the necessity of the Harper Government’s medical marijuana policy may be debated, it is certainly
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Pot and Proper Living in Free Communities
The recent nullification of federal marijuana prohibition in Colorado is setting the groundwork for new social arrangements in an otherwise inconspicuous state. Last November, a ballot measure for legalization passed through the tumultuous process of citizen voting. Less than a
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