I teach at a local university and some years I teach on Saint Patrick's day. It's bad. Green beer starts flowing early, there are very drunk people wandering around all day, people passed out on the sidewalk, etc. Worst of all, it's the default thing to do if you're a young college student on St. … Continue reading Sober fun on St. Patty’s day
Tag: Michigan
Alcohol’s place in our culture
Following up on yesterday's post, a few articles jumped out at me. First, the Michigan legislature is considering lowering the blood alcohol level for boats and other recreational vehicles to 0.08, so that it matches the BAL for driving a car. Sorta makes sense, right? Look at the comments in the Detroit Free Press and the … Continue reading Alcohol’s place in our culture
“look at alcohol!”
I frequently find myself in discussions about drug policy. I feel strongly that incarcerating people for possession is stupid and wrong, but I'm reluctant to legalize drugs. (I think there are a lot of options in between.) In these discussions, I inevitably hear someone say, "Look at alcohol. It's way worse and it's legal!" My … Continue reading “look at alcohol!”
Michigan’s medical marijuana business
Crain's Detroit has an article on the state's medical marijuana business from the grow side to the physicians. The article says that there have been 344,000 patient applications in the state since 2009 and that doctors often charge around $150 to certify patients, that's $51,600,000 in revenue for the docs. Here's a little from the … Continue reading Michigan’s medical marijuana business
Detroit, Booze and Temperance
The Detroit News offers a little history lesson on alcohol and temperance in Detroit. I guess we've always been a In 1834 — with a population under 5,000 — 100 people were licensed dealers selling liquor in Detroit; there was no estimate of the unlicensed. It was said there was a bar for every 13 … Continue reading Detroit, Booze and Temperance
K2, Spice and legalization
I do not consider myself a drug warrior. (Though, few people do these days. It can be a little like racism. People attribute it to others, but never themselves.) I oppose incarcerating people for possession of quantities consistent with personal use. I favor policies that target demand rather than supply. I'm also skeptical of hype … Continue reading K2, Spice and legalization
