A Tale of Two Supermen — and Their Drugs

David Sirota / Truthdig Oct 23, 2009 We can look to two superjocks -- Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps -- for the key lesson about our absurd drug policy. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Boom Times for Pot Growers

Staff / Truthdig Oct 21, 2009 The lousy economy has driven some Californians into the marijuana industry, which is doing a lot better than, say, construction. According to this Miller-McCune profile, California will grow an estimated $15 billion worth of weed in 2009, a good portion of it in the backyards and basements of amateurs and newcomers. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

High Times for States’ Rights

Staff / Truthdig Oct 20, 2009 The Justice Department is officially going to quit harshing the mellow of the 13 states that have medical marijuana laws on the books. Dispensaries and patients will no longer have to worry about federal raids -- unless they're "drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Is the ‘War on Drugs’ Ending?

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2009 Mexico and Argentina's recent decisions to decriminalize the personal use of drugs mark a growing trend across Latin America to reject the now-40-year-old, U.S.-led, Nixon-founded "war on drugs" as both harmful and ineffective. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

New York’s War on Marijuana

Staff / Truthdig Aug 11, 2009 Marijuana possession is legally decriminalized in NY state Nonetheless, N City makes more pot arrests than any other city in the world How do they do it?. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Drugs, Guns and Reality

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Mar 27, 2009 It's an indictment of our fact-averse political culture that a statement of the blindingly obvious could sound so revolutionary. Nevertheless, Hillary Clinton deserves high praise for acknowledging that the U.S. bears "shared responsibility" for the drug-fueled violence sweeping Mexico. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Addicted to Fake Outrage

David Sirota / Truthdig Feb 13, 2009 One thing is obvious after Michael Phelps' marijuana "scandal": Our society is addicted to fake outrage -- and to break our dependence, we’re going to need far more potent medicine than the herb Phelps was smoking. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Protecting the Homeland From Homeland Security

Staff / Truthdig Jan 28, 2009 As previously reported on Truthdig, there's a lot going on in Homeland Security that doesn't make it onto the reality show of the same name. The Center for Investigative Reporting's G.W. Schulz continues to dig into the department's unsavory bits, including an immigration officer who was arrested for allegedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl in Rio while there on official business. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

So Much for the War on Drugs

Staff / Truthdig Jul 2, 2008 Despite spending countless billions and passing draconian laws, the United States is anything but a drug-free zone The percentages of those in the US who have tried marijuana or cocaine are greater than the percentages of any other country surveyed, according to a new study The Netherlands, which has notoriously lax drug policies, had less than half the percentage of marijuana users and an even lower level of cocaine dabblers relative to the U. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

War on Drugs a Bust

Staff / Truthdig Jan 8, 2008 How will we know if the war on drugs is ever won? When all the kingpins are locked up or dead? That was once the prevailing idea among those on the front lines of the much-ballyhooed "war," which Rolling Stone scribe Ben Wallace notes has now gone on for over three decades and, in his view, is an utter failure. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Top Court: ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ Not School-Friendly

By Claire Wasserman Jun 26, 2007 In his "free-speech experiment" five years ago, senior Joseph Frederick displayed a large banner outside his high school in Juneau, Alaska, with the message, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." As a result, he was suspended. Now the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against him. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

UK Journal: Alcohol Worse Than Pot

Staff / Truthdig Mar 25, 2007 Cigarettes and alcohol may cause more harm on the societal level than the seemingly harder drugs marijuana and ecstasy, according to a report released by British journal The Lancet. The study suggests that, despite appearances, the two commonly used and legal substances could be more dangerous than their outlawed counterparts. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )