The war on drugs can’t be won, not the way you think. — Has the United States’ war on drugs always really been about drug use? We’ve all heard many gut-wrenching, heartbreaking stories about addiction. Lives have been destroyed. Families have been torn apart. Criminalization has created an insidious monster. Casualties litter our country. …

How many musicians and other famous artists do we know that regularly uses weed? Who immediately comes to mind? For me, I think of people like Mac Miller and Eric Bellinger. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky also come to mind. …

Alcohol has been around for about as long as humans have. It’s been brewed, crafted, conjured, and sold whether it was entirely legal or not. Despite the devastating aftermath alcohol can cause, it is widely socially accepted. When people talk about how dangerous drugs like marijuana, crack, and heroin is…

Year after year, teachers and faculty would round us up to sit criss-cross on the floor in a small gym for regular D.A.R.E assemblies. Drug Abuse Resistance Education uses a mixture of fact-vomiting and intimidation to persuade kids to live a drug-free life. For years they told us that people…

“Burnout” can be just as physical as it is mental — A successful hacker worked himself so hard that he burned up all the glucose in his brain. With debt up to his eyeballs, he eagerly accepted every gig that was tossed his way. He worked every day, night, and weekend. In February of 2020, he felt a peculiar “pop” in his brain. He described it like a guitar string being snapped. …

It means a lot; It’s one of the greatest gifts of all — In the past five or six years, my desire to be a father has grown immensely. When I was younger, before I realized I was trans, the thought of having kids was appalling. I didn’t want to carry a child. I refused to be a mother. Since my chronic illness is hereditary, I carried it around in my back pocket as a useful excuse. …

What does that mean for a multi-transplant patient? — With shaky fingers, I dialed 9–1–1 and waited for an operator to pick up. It was around 5 A.M. I leaned against the wall of the bedroom I share with my fiance. Every time I laid down, I couldn’t breathe. The night before, I coughed so much I puked twice. …

A poem series exploring the aftermath of police brutality Part One Found in a pool of your own blood Cops at the scene swear it was drugs Screaming that you got a gun Your own mind told you to run Blue uniforms Flashing lights You not making it home tonight Hope you remembered to kiss your wife Remembered to call…

Who do you call in a crisis if you can’t call the police? — Isaiah Brown was driven home after his car broke down by a Virginia sheriff on April 21. Less than an hour later, that same sheriff shot him multiple times. There was a report of a domestic altercation between him and his brother. …