Yearly Archives: 2017

Cannabis Set to Cause a World of Pain for Big Pharma

"The study, which was first outlined by the Washington Post, helped stir up the debate over how a legitimate cannabis market might be able to reduce the national opioid problem. That’s because the University of Georgia data shows when medical marijuana is available, pain patients are increasingly choosing pot over powerful — and potentially deadly — prescription narcotics. Specifically, the researchers found that — in the 17 states with a medical-marijuana law in place by 2013 — prescriptions for painkillers and other classes of drugs fell sharply, compared with states that did not have a medical-marijuana law." Continue reading →

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State-Run Single-Payer Health Care: Prohibitively Expensive—and Illegal?

"State lawmakers in California and New York voted this year to pass state-run single payer health care plans, despite the fact that both states would need to double their existing tax revenue to pay for the new entitlement. But even if those political hurdles are overcome, and even if the two states figure out how they are going to come up with the necessary tax revenue—about $400 billion in California's case, and somewhere between $91 billion and $225 billion in New York's—to make those systems functional, both may run into another problem: The whole thing could be against the law." Continue reading →

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Permission Not Required: Michigan House Passes “Constitutional Carry” Bills

LANSING, Mich. (June 9, 2017) – On Wednesday, the Michigan House passed a series of so-called “constitutional carry” bills that would make it legal for most people in the state to carry a firearm without a license, and foster an environment hostile to federal gun control. A coalition of Republicans introduced a series of four…

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Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht Loses His Life Sentence Appeal

"As Judge Katherine Forrest explained at the time, Ulbricht's life sentence was intended also to send a message to other would-be dark web drug kingpins. Her strategy appears to have backfired, at least in the short term: Sales on Silk Road successor sites doubled in the immediate wake of Ulbricht's sentence, as news of the trial's outcome raised awareness of the dark web drug market." Continue reading →

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Maine House Kills Bill Prohibiting “Sanctuary City” Policies

AUGUSTA, Maine (June 9, 2017) – Last week, the Maine House killed a bill that would have effectively prohibited so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to help enforce some federal immigration laws in the state. Rep. Lawrence Lockman (R-Brewer) introduced House Bill 366 (LD366) in February, along with a bipartisan coalition of seven cosponsors. The legislation would…

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Republican-Dominated Alabama House Kills Bill to Help Encourage Use of Gold and Silver as Currency

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Jun. 9, 2017) – Alabama’s Republican-dominated House killed a bill that would have removed sales taxes from the sale of gold and silver, encouraging their use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. Rep. Lynn Greer (R-Rogersville) introduced House Bill 238 (HB238) in February. The legislation exempted the…

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Massachusetts Committee Holds Hearing on Bill to Ban Warrantless Stingray Spying

BOSTON, Mass. (June 9, 2017) – Earlier this week, a Massachusetts committee held a hearing on a bill that would generally prohibit the warrantless use of stingray devices and the collection of electronic data stored by service providers. Final passage of the bill would not only protect privacy in Massachusetts, but would also hinder at…

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U.K. report on terrorism and Saudi Arabia ‘too sensitive’ to be made public

"The results of a government-sponsored inquiry into the sources of funding for Islamist militant groups operating in the U.K. may be kept hidden forever due to the nature of its findings, the U.K.'s Home Office has said, according to local media. A Home Office spokesperson told the publication that a decision may be made on the inquiry after the nation's next government is elected, but the article provided no further details." Continue reading →

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