Drug Penalty Reform Coming to Utah
“Don’t do drugs, because if you do drugs you’ll go to prison… and drugs are really expensive in prison.” This humorous quote underscores the fundamental problem with imprisoning people with a substance addiction...
Former SWAT Commander Speaks Out on Police Militarization, the War on Drugs, and Civil Liberties
Editor’s note: Libertas Institute has been closely following and influencing policy issues related to the use of police authority including task force raids, police militarization, and forcible entry warrants. Conventional wisdom...
80 Years Ago, Prohibition Died. Or Did It?
On December 5, 2013, the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed, terminating the federal prohibition on “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors.” A failed 13-year experiment on...
Movement for Medical Cannabis Inches Forward in Utah
Last night, the Controlled Substances Adivsory Committee met in a packed room full of Utah parents, legislators, activists, and media. Created just a few years ago by the legislature, this group exists “to serve as a...
The Rise of Government-Sanctioned Home Invasions
This article was written by John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. It is published here with the author’s permission. “Democracy means that if the doorbell rings in the early hours, it is likely to be the...
How An Unlikely State Became a Hotbed For Police Reform
Investigative journalist Radley Balko has published six articles in a series about efforts in Utah to reform the way police handle drug enforcement cases and the “militarization” trend we’ve become familiar...