What changed? Policy? No. Evidence? No. Trump's messaging? Absolutely. The same poll shows that 74% of Republicans believe Trump is making progress on illegal drugs, compared to just 33% of Democrats and 34% of Independents who feel that way. Republicans convinced themselves that bombing boats and tariff threats constitute effective drug policy, and simultaneously decided cannabis legalization—which they supported just two years ago—is now bad.

This inconsistency reveals something crucial about drug policy: the psychosis argument was never about protecting vulnerable people. It was about justifying prohibition of a substance that threatened certain interests. Because if we genuinely cared about preventing psychosis, we'd be banning social media, AI chatbots, and countless other triggers before we'd prohibit a plant humans have used for thousands of years.

New research from Oregon State University, published in PLOS One, confirms what many experienced cannabis users have suspected—the cannabis industry's obsession with terpene profiles as predictors of aroma and effects is built on shaky foundations. After recruiting a 21-judge panel to systematically assess 91 samples of unburnt marijuana flower using 25 standardized descriptors, researchers discovered that terpene content is a poor predictor of cannabis's actual scent profile.

This article explores what happens when America's most destructive legal drug faces competition from a demonstrably safer alternative. What are alcohol's true costs? How does cannabis compare? And what would 10%, 25%, or even 50% reduction in alcohol consumption mean for public health, crime, and economics? The Oregon study provides the foundation for understanding what might be the most significant public health development of the 21st century: the voluntary substitution of cannabis for alcohol at a population scale

Colombian President Gustavo Petro did something remarkable last week: he publicly told Donald Trump to legalize marijuana and end the War on Drugs. Not as an academic exercise or a progressive policy proposal, but as an urgent plea from a leader whose country has borne the brunt of American drug policy for over half a century.

Cannabis allergies are real, increasingly recognized by allergists, and more common than most people realize. A recent Canadian study found that 40% of adult cannabis users in a clinical setting reported symptoms compatible with cannabis allergy upon exposure. Let that sink in—nearly half of people exposed to cannabis may experience some form of allergic reaction.

Something remarkable happened in America between 2021 and 2023, and most people didn't even notice. Cannabis surpassed cigarettes as the substance of choice for adult Americans. According to comprehensive research from SUNY and the University of Kentucky analyzing National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, cannabis-only use jumped from 7.2% to 10.6% of adults during that period, while cigarette-only use declined from 10.8% to 8.8%.

Let’s stop worrying about cannabis dependence and instead worry about stigma, misinformation, and the lingering of prohibition-era myths. The truth is that weed is not the problem, it can be the solution.

Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed "anti-war" president who campaigned on ending endless conflicts, has found himself a new war to fight. In January 2025, he signed Executive Order 14157, formally designating eight Latin American cartels and gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations—the same legal classification used for ISIS and Al-Qaeda. By September, he'd escalated from designation to execution, launching a campaign of missile strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea that has, by the administration's own count, killed at least 43 people across 10 separate attacks.

Older adults approach cannabis with a level of caution and preparation that younger users often skip entirely. They ask about drug interactions, dosing protocols, and long-term effects. They want to understand what they're putting in their bodies and why. This isn't recreational experimentation—it's informed exploration of a substance that might genuinely improve their quality of life.