October 2, 2017

8 really bad laws that went into effect today

from Reason: From cellphone tracking in Connecticut to gummy bear bans in Colorado and bitcoin surveillance in Japan.
The Government is Not Us

Cops now hiding behind kids on school buses to bust people texting while driving

from The Free Thought Project: In a new revenue generation scheme, police across the country are now using school buses as a vantage point to catch drivers who are texting while driving.
Police State America

🎬  VIDEO: Rush Limbaugh - The Plot to Kill the NFL

from LibertyPen: While some say the NFL protests are about police brutality and free speech, Limbaugh makes a compelling case that the end game is to weaken and destroy the NFL.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Bogus stoned driving arrests highlight dubious methods of 'drug recognition experts'

from Reason: A lawsuit by three sober drivers who were busted for DUI questions the pot-detecting abilities of DREs.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Marijuana drive-thrus and online weed orders are a real possibility in this state

from Motley Fool: The Pine Tree State could have consumers seeing a new form of green, at the drive-thru window and via online checkout, by next year.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Police union complains that public got to see them roughing up Utah nurse

from Reason: Transparency about behavior of government employees is not a violation of due process.
Police State America

September 28, 2017

The campus free-speech crisis deepens

from National Review: Suspending or expelling students who shout-down speakers, disrupt campus events, or take over campus buildings is the single most important step that can be taken to end the free-speech crisis. Yet administrators will not act.
Indoctrination and Censorship

The secret slush funds of asset forfeiture

from Reason: Two investigations published this week reveal how police and prosecutors spend asset forfeiture funds outside the public eye.
Police State America

Patriots and protesters should take a knee for the Constitution

from Rutherford Institute: John Whitehead talks about patriotism and President Trump’s call for “respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem.”
Individual Liberty: America's First Principle

Florida town booted food truck offering meals to hurricane survivors after nearby restaurant complained

from Reason: Does government exist to serve the people or represent well-connected cronies? You decide.
The Government is Not Us

Illegal immigration cost Americans a record $135 billion last year

from The Washington Examiner: John Whitehead talks about patriotism and President Trump’s call for “respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem.”
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Jeff Sessions just made the chief of the DEA look like a pothead's hero

from Reason: Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg reportedly resigned in part over the Justice Department's obstruction of marijuana research.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

September 18, 2017

Should you tell the cops you have a gun?

from Reason: Some gun owners argue that disclosure is considerate and prudent, while others worry it will escalate a routine traffic stop into a tense, unpleasant, and possibly life-threatening encounter.
2nd Amendment Assaults

25 most commonly used recreational drugs in America

from St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The drugs Americans prefer most. Of course, all of them are either illegal or severely restricted and heavily taxed. Government reverence for the pursuit of happiness is not exactly that of the founders.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Irma watch: How likely are prohibitions on ‘price gouging’ to help the poor?

from The American Spectator: Some gun owners argue that disclosure is considerate and prudent, while others worry it will escalate a routine traffic stop into a tense, unpleasant, and possibly life-threatening encounter.
Economic Policy: Statism vs The Free Market

Gun rights top media poll

from The Daily Caller: Lost in the storm of hurricane coverage, a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll demonstrates Americans’ growing support for gun rights. 

2nd Amendment Assaults

John Stossel: The best part of the Constitution

from Reason: Stossel shares his thoughts about Constitution Day (September 17).
Individual Liberty: America's First Principle

Will Las Vegas be ‘Amsterdam on steroids’? Door opens for pot lounges

from NBC News: What happens in Vegas will still stay in Vegas — but perhaps no longer behind closed doors, at least when it comes to pot.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

September 9, 2017

Defend Our Online Communities: Stop SESTA

from EFF: Don’t endanger our online communities. SESTA would swap responsibility for online posts from the individual to the web platform, providing the platform with incentives to censor. Stop SESTA.
Indoctrination and Censorship

🎬  Walter E Williams - Tyranny of the Elites

from LibertyPen YouTube Channel: Professor Williams explains how those that pretend to represent you really strive to control you. In fact, they will kill you if necessary to make that point.
The Government is Not Us

Public sector unions are beginning to panic

from Hot Air: When mandatory dues (extortion's first cousin) are gone, unions will be in a heap of trouble.
Economic Policy: Statism vs The Free Market

Teen marijuana use falls to 20-year low, defying legalization opponents’ predictions

from The Washington Post: Adolescence seems to be about rebellion. Legality ruins the fun Go figure.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Victor Davis Hanson: Media bias, bureaucracy drive liberal narrative

from Reason: Raising the bar to enter the job market always results in unemployment for the lowest skilled workers.
Media Bias on Parade

VIDEO: Minimum Wage: Bad for Humans, Good for Robots

from Reason: Raising the bar to enter the job market always results in unemployment for the lowest skilled workers.
Economic Policy: Statism vs The Free Market

September 8, 2017

House rules committee blocks amendment protecting medical marijuana

from Reason: Politicians demonstrate -- in direct opposition to voters -- that would rather sick people not get medicine than to lose the slightest bit of power.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Transactions

No state constitutional right to assisted suicide, New York high court rules

from the Washington Post: You would only have a right to assisted suicide if you owned yourself, for one is free to destroy any property they own. However, as state property, you have no such right.
Individual Liberty: America's First Principle

CNN caught creating fake news again

from Activist Post: This time they were caught adding words to a Syrian witness’ statement to forward their chosen narrative.
Media Bias on Parade

London police’s use of facial recognition falls flat on its face

from Naked Security: It couldn’t even tell the difference between a young woman and a balding man.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

College activists march on the cafeteria: what do we want? hydroponic cilantro!

from Activist Post: Students across the U.S. are making some very precise demands of school chefs and dining halls, including a churrascaria, a gelateria and a sushi bar.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

The bubble is now so massive even Wall Street is getting nervous

from ZeroHedge: The market has steadily gone up for quite a while now, even though the economy has performed rather poorly and the debt risen at a rapid rate. The increase was largely fueled by low interest rates and government spending, not the production of wealth. The Trump bump is also a move based on perception not reality. It all spells market bubble to me (jim).
Economic Policy: Statism vs The Free Market

The War On Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Latest Update: July 25, 2017

Sessions suggests Trump lied when he advocated marijuana legalization be left to the states
The DEA says ‘marijuana is not medicine’ — reality says otherwise
The states are revolting; marijuana legalization not just happening at the ballot box 

Trump doubles down on failed drug war; wants more prisons less freedom

Kratom could be a cure for the Opioid Epidemic, yet the DEA wants to ban it

On 4/20, it’s a mixed bag for backers of pot legalization

The deadly war on drugs, waged by your local SWAT team

The war on drugs is a war on people

5 Reasons Conservatives Should Support Pot Legalization

by James McClure.   Ever wonder how to bring up marijuana with your conservative friends, family or coworkers? You're in luck because there's an activist group that specializes in getting that sort of discussion started. RAMP (Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition) is dedicated to persuading people to rethink their position on cannabis. We     ... MORE

VIDEO: The Cost Of The War On Drugs

Law enforcement's spending addiction.

Support For Marijuana Legalization Hits All-Time High

by Christopher Ingraham.     A new survey released today by the the Associated Press and the University of Chicago finds that a record-high percentage of Americans -- 61 percent -- say they support marijuana legalization. The survey uses the same question wording ("Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not?") on marijuana as  ... MORE

Carey Welder: Nixon Advisor Admitted War On Drugs Invented To Crush Anti-War And Black Movements

A damning revelation comes to light.    In 1994, a former Nixon policy adviser admitted the War on Drugs was waged not to keep Americans safe, but to crush dissent. According to John Ehrlichman, who served time in prison for his involvement in the Watergate scandal, the Drug War was intended to disempower anti-war and black    ... MORE

Ilya Somin: Supreme Court Dismisses Nebraska-Oklahoma Lawsuit Against Marijuana Legalization In Colorado

Drug warriors take one on the chin.     The Supreme Court today refused to hear a case filed by the states of Nebraska and Oklahoma claiming that neighboring Colorado’s legalization of marijuana violates federal law and inflicts various harms on them: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a lawsuit from Nebraska and         ... MORE

Pot Will Pump $44 Billion A Year Into Economy By 2020

by Jonah Bennett.  A profitable growth industry.  Marijuana in the U.S. will become a $44 billion a year industry by 2020, according to a Monday report by Marijuana Business Daily. Currently, the cannabis industry in the U.S. is projected to be anywhere between $14-$17 billion in 2016. If existing economic and legal trends continue at the current rates, ... MORE

Medical Marijuana Miracle: Watch This Mom Stop Her Daughter’s Violent Seizure in Its Tracks With Cannabis Oil

by Justin Garner.  Last week we reported on a historic study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology in April. 10,000 neurologists from around the world will have a chance to see the remarkable effectiveness of using a cannabis extract called cannabidiol (CBD) to treat seizures. As medical science explores this pathway  ... MORE

VIDEO: The Man Who Wants To Stop Pot In California

Legal Pot Causes Drug Cartel Revenues To Plummet

by Oscar Pascual. free market 1 black market 0. Marijuana legalization may have accomplished what the War on Drugs has failed to do — put the squeeze on Mexican drug cartel activity. The U.S. Border Patrol has released 2015 data showing that the number of marijuana seizures throughout the southwest U.S./Mexico border has fallen to the   ... MORE

VIDEO: The Drug War, Mandatory Minimums And Reason

Australia About To Legalize Growing Marijuana Nationwide

by Steve Mollman.      Australia appears set to legalize the growing of marijuana for medical use nationwide. A bill introduced to parliament Wednesday (Feb. 10) by the Liberal Party would amend the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967. It looks guaranteed to become law, as the main opposition party immediately pledged support for it. Under the proposal a national ... MORE

Why Jury Nullification? New Jersey Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Growing 17 Marijuana Plants

by MaryAnn Spoto.    Because justice is a result, not simply a process. A Mays Landing man was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday for growing 17 marijuana plants in the Pinelands. When Jon Peditto was arrested in 2012, he admitted the pot plants were his and told investigators he grew them primarily for his own use but had also ... MORE

Boston Police Seek Charges Against Marijuana Advocate

by Milton J. Valencia.      Boston police are seeking criminal charges against Bill Downing, one of the state’s most vocal marijuana legalization supporters, a move that his lawyer calls retaliation for his criticism of the state’s regulation of the medical marijuana industry. A magistrate judge is scheduled to consider whether to approve a complaint filed by  ... MORE

VIDEO: John Stossel - The Matter Of Marijuana