Have A Drink, Prohibition Stinks: Remembering the Tyranny of Prohibition
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Have A Drink, Prohibition Stinks: Remembering the Tyranny of Prohibition

History was made on this day in 1933 when the 18th amendment was repealed, effectively ending America’s national prohibition of alcohol, erasing what could arguably be considered the most blatant attacks on personal liberty to come out of Progressive Era. The prohibition of alcohol may be one of the greatest examples in the 20th century…

Nearly A Third Of Smokers Will Opt For Black Market Marijuana After California Legalization

LISTEN TO TLR’S LATEST PODCAST: By Steve Birr Recreational marijuana legalization promises to rake in more than $5 billion for California in 2018, but nearly one-third of smokers will continue buying black market weed. A new study from the University of California Agricultural Issues Center shows taxes and red tape surrounding the state’s burgeoning recreational market…

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Vegetable Rationing In England Creates Black Market For Lettuce

LISTEN TO TLR’S LATEST PODCAST: By Thomas Phippen Several grocery chains in the UK are limiting the amount of lettuce customers can buy in a single visit due to vegetable shortages caused by cold winter weather in Spain and other southern EU nations. The shortage has even created a lettuce black market, with boxes of iceberg lettuce…

A History of Prohibition – Part 1: The Rise of the Mob
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A History of Prohibition – Part 1: The Rise of the Mob

“I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.” – Al Capone The temperance movement – the collective effort of some to decrease and even eliminate the consumption of alcohol – gained a foothold in the United States in the 19th century and their efforts culminated in the passage of the…

Vapers

FDA’s E-Cigarette Regulation Is Triggering A Black Market

By Guy Bentley The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new e-cigarette regulations, which could destroy 99 percent of the market, are triggering backlash from vaping advocates and businesses vowing to teach vapers to make their own e-liquid. The centerpiece of the FDA regulations, published Thursday, is the requirement for all vapor products released prior to Feb….

Legal Marijuana in U.S. Cutting Into Mexican Cartel Profits

New data released from the United States Border Patrol shows that marijuana seizures along the border have fallen to their lowest level in a decade, indicating that the illegal supply of cannabis coming from Mexico into the U.S. is on the decline. So what happened? Why would the cartels be sending less marijuana into the…

Will the Government Screw Up Marijuana Legalization?
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Will the Government Screw Up Marijuana Legalization?

Readers of The Libertarian Republic are well aware of all the problems government causes, including all the problems associated with cannabis prohibition. But if we know anything else about the government, it’s that they never really stop causing problems; if anything, they simply shift the problem causing to other areas. Take cannabis legalization, for example….

Central Indiana “Spice Ring” Story is Like an Episode of Breaking Bad

Central Indiana “Spice Ring” Story is Like an Episode of Breaking Bad

As if the story of Russell Taylor – former head of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle’s charitable foundation – wasn’t bizarre enough, it turns out that he was allegedly deeply involved with the key players of an international “Spice” ring that operated out of central Indiana, a ring that was brought down by authorities last…

New York Loses $400 Million After Imposing The Nation’s Highest Cigarette Tax
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New York Loses $400 Million After Imposing The Nation’s Highest Cigarette Tax

Guy Bentley New York is reaping the whirlwind of sky-high cigarette taxes with a wave of smuggling decimating the state’s revenue. New York holds the dubious honor of having the highest cigarette taxes in country, with the average pack of smokes in New York City costing as much as $10.60. New York raised taxes on cigarettes…