HN Atlas
← All topics

Drug legalization policy

Drug laws, decriminalization, cannabis markets, controlled-substance policy, and public-health effects.

2,206 stories · 18 in 30 days · Updated Sep 28, 2026

The pace of conversation

Posts per month

2020-01: 49 posts2020-02: 26 posts2020-03: 15 posts2020-04: 17 posts2020-05: 16 posts2020-06: 11 posts2020-07: 18 posts2020-08: 18 posts2020-09: 29 posts2020-10: 24 posts2020-11: 32 posts2020-12: 31 posts2021-01: 23 posts2021-02: 27 posts2021-03: 44 posts2021-04: 36 posts2021-05: 30 posts2021-06: 38 posts2021-07: 55 posts2021-08: 34 posts2021-09: 26 posts2021-10: 25 posts2021-11: 30 posts2021-12: 32 posts2022-01: 31 posts2022-02: 30 posts2022-03: 20 posts2022-04: 27 posts2022-05: 29 posts2022-06: 34 posts2022-07: 23 posts2022-08: 33 posts2022-09: 22 posts2022-10: 37 posts2022-11: 38 posts2022-12: 33 posts2023-01: 25 posts2023-02: 30 posts2023-03: 37 posts2023-04: 44 posts2023-05: 35 posts2023-06: 31 posts2023-07: 34 posts2023-08: 40 posts2023-09: 35 posts2023-10: 28 posts2023-11: 29 posts2023-12: 20 posts2024-01: 31 posts2024-02: 32 posts2024-03: 36 posts2024-04: 40 posts2024-05: 45 posts2024-06: 20 posts2024-07: 23 posts2024-08: 17 posts2024-09: 21 posts2024-10: 34 posts2024-11: 10 posts2024-12: 26 posts2025-01: 22 posts2025-02: 16 posts2025-03: 26 posts2025-04: 19 posts2025-05: 17 posts2025-06: 24 posts2025-07: 17 posts2025-08: 22 posts2025-09: 21 posts2025-10: 21 posts2025-11: 23 posts2025-12: 25 posts2026-01: 20 posts2026-02: 17 posts2026-03: 20 posts2026-04: 35 posts2026-05: 18 posts2026-06: 21 posts2026-07: 17 posts2026-08: 23 posts2026-09: 16 posts
2020-012026-09

Posts per month · first and latest months may be partial.

01 / EXPLORE THROUGH TIME

Timeline

Start with the latest. Scroll back through time, or zoom in for more.

Year by yearUp to 5 stories per year
2026187 stories
The Mafia may be keeping fentanyl out of Italy↗ economist.com · HN · 268 comments · 202 points · Sep 25, 2026
Psychoactive substances helped spur Andean civilization↗ science.org · HN · 153 comments · 219 points · Sep 11, 2026
Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't↗ crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt.com · HN · 215 comments · 702 points · Aug 06, 2026
US appeals court declares 158-year-old home distilling ban unconstitutional↗ nypost.com · HN · 338 comments · 461 points · Apr 13, 2026
US appeals court declares 158-year-old home distilling ban unconstitutional↗ theguardian.com · HN · 316 comments · 246 points · Apr 12, 2026
2025253 stories
Over 40% of deceased drivers in vehicle crashes test positive for THC: Study↗ facs.org · HN · 502 comments · 345 points · Dec 20, 2025
A hemp industry shutdown has just begun↗ courier-journal.com · HN · 10 comments · 146 points · Nov 13, 2025
Hemp ban hidden inside government shutdown bill↗ hightimes.com · HN · 558 comments · 354 points · Nov 13, 2025
Addiction Markets↗ thebignewsletter.com · HN · 456 comments · 398 points · Oct 31, 2025
Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet↗ newatlas.com · HN · 278 comments · 308 points · Jan 30, 2025
2024335 stories
Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts↗ arstechnica.com · HN · 598 comments · 372 points · Dec 17, 2024
California bans sell-by dates↗ foodandwine.com · HN · 284 comments · 203 points · Oct 07, 2024
US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana↗ apnews.com · HN · 863 comments · 662 points · Apr 30, 2024
British Columbia to recriminalize use of drugs in public spaces↗ cbc.ca · HN · 439 comments · 239 points · Apr 26, 2024
German Bundestag Passes Cannabis Legalization↗ bundestag.de · HN · 222 comments · 272 points · Feb 23, 2024
2023388 stories
Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana↗ whitehouse.gov · HN · 336 comments · 323 points · Dec 22, 2023
Biden pardons marijuana use nationwide↗ usatoday.com · HN · 48 comments · 47 points · Dec 22, 2023
Cannabis use raises the risk of major depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis↗ jamanetwork.com · HN · 36 comments · 56 points · Sep 15, 2023
Adult-use cannabis delivers $15B in tax revenues↗ greenmarketreport.com · HN · 67 comments · 74 points · May 02, 2023
12-year-olds can't buy cigarettes – but they can work in tobacco fields↗ npr.org · HN · 43 comments · 52 points · Apr 17, 2023
2022357 stories
Granting Pardon for the Offense of Simple Possession of Marijuana↗ whitehouse.gov · HN · 762 comments · 787 points · Oct 06, 2022
San Francisco decriminalizes psychedelics↗ doubleblindmag.com · HN · 450 comments · 623 points · Sep 08, 2022
Cannabis legalization decreases stock market value of major pharmaceutical firms↗ news.unm.edu · HN · 211 comments · 288 points · Sep 02, 2022
Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’↗ theguardian.com · HN · 404 comments · 338 points · Jul 01, 2022
Wine bricks saved the U.S. wine industry during Prohibition (2015)↗ vinepair.com · HN · 183 comments · 344 points · Feb 08, 2022
2021400 stories
Cocaine Paraphernalia Ads in the 70s↗ rarehistoricalphotos.com · HN · 491 comments · 574 points · Nov 23, 2021
Suspected head of $21B crime syndicate may be world’s most innovative drug lord↗ torontolife.com · HN · 245 comments · 377 points · Nov 02, 2021
Mexico's Supreme Court has decriminalised the private use of cannabis by adults↗ bbc.co.uk · HN · 275 comments · 392 points · Jun 29, 2021
America has a drinking problem↗ theatlantic.com · HN · 866 comments · 566 points · Jun 01, 2021
Magic Mushrooms Are Decriminalized in DC as of Today↗ washingtonian.com · HN · 233 comments · 346 points · Mar 15, 2021
2020286 stories
Colombia is considering legalizing its cocaine industry↗ vice.com · HN · 445 comments · 542 points · Dec 03, 2020
Voters rejecting the war on drugs is a win for public health↗ arstechnica.com · HN · 283 comments · 532 points · Nov 07, 2020
Oregon becomes first state to legalize psychedelic mushrooms↗ oregonlive.com · HN · 164 comments · 410 points · Nov 04, 2020
LSD Chemist William Pickard to Be Released from Prison↗ psymposia.com · HN · 375 comments · 515 points · Jul 25, 2020
Santa Cruz decriminalizes psychedelic mushrooms↗ abcnews.go.com · HN · 176 comments · 373 points · Jan 29, 2020
Scroll through time ↕

02 / CATCH UP

The conversation now

Popular stories, with attention fading over roughly two weeks.

The Mafia may be keeping fentanyl out of Italy↗ economist.com · HN · 268 comments · 202 points · Sep 25, 2026
ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market↗ temertymedicine.utoronto.ca · HN · 157 comments · 164 points · Sep 16, 2026
Psychoactive substances helped spur Andean civilization↗ science.org · HN · 153 comments · 219 points · Sep 11, 2026
Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't↗ crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt.com · HN · 215 comments · 702 points · Aug 06, 2026
34 arrests made for drug trafficking at Burning Man as of Friday↗ rgj.com · HN · 1 comments · 13 points · Sep 06, 2026

03 / GO DEEPER

Follow your curiosity

Find a particular story, revisit a year, or see what resonated.

Highest rated · the last 30 days

Psychoactive substances helped spur Andean civilization↗ science.org · HN · 153 comments · 219 points · Sep 11, 2026
The Mafia may be keeping fentanyl out of Italy↗ economist.com · HN · 268 comments · 202 points · Sep 25, 2026
ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market↗ temertymedicine.utoronto.ca · HN · 157 comments · 164 points · Sep 16, 2026
34 arrests made for drug trafficking at Burning Man as of Friday↗ rgj.com · HN · 1 comments · 13 points · Sep 06, 2026
Inside Colombia's Cocaine Factories↗ economist.com · HN · 5 comments · 13 points · Sep 01, 2026
Teen Autopsy Marks Arrival of Deadly Drug Cychlorphine in San Francisco↗ nytimes.com · HN · 2 comments · 4 points · Sep 21, 2026
Penn State's Campuswide Cocaine Ring Was Fueled by Fraternity Hazing↗ wsj.com · HN · 1 comments · 3 points · Sep 28, 2026
The Mafia may be keeping fentanyl out of Italy↗ economist.com · HN · 1 comments · 3 points · Sep 25, 2026
How the pro-nicotine 'wellness' movement rebranded an addictive drug↗ theconversation.com · HN · 0 comments · 3 points · Sep 23, 2026
Cannabis Supply Chain Database↗ cannabis-supply-chain.pages.dev · HN · 0 comments · 3 points · Sep 19, 2026

10 stories shown.

Help shape Hacker Atlas

Useful, confusing, or missing something? I’d love to hear.

Your feedback is private. Your email is only used to reply, never to sign you up for a newsletter.