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.

I've noticed this pattern consistently among longtime cannabis users, and a recent Reddit thread confirmed I'm not alone. The question posed was simple: "Anyone else feel like weed hits different as you get older?" The responses overwhelmed the thread—hundreds of people describing the exact same phenomenon. Used to get giggly and social, now more chill and contemplative. Used to seek adventure, now seek reflection. Used to be about external experiences, now about internal exploration.

The Supreme Court just agreed to hear a case that perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of cannabis prohibition in 2025: United States v. Hemani, which will determine whether Americans who use marijuana can exercise their Second Amendment right to own firearms. Let that sink in for a moment. We're debating whether one constitutional right can be stripped away because you exercise personal autonomy over your own consciousness using a plant that's legal in half the states and has never caused a fatal overdose in recorded human history.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has consistently proven itself to be the greatest roadblock to cannabis reform in America. Despite overwhelming public support for medical cannabis, despite 38 states having legalized it in some form, and despite bipartisan congressional pressure, the DEA continues its decades-long pattern of stonewalling, delaying, and obstructing any meaningful progress.