Mattha Busby is a freelance journalist, currently based in Mexico, who has written widely on health policy and society.
Nonprofit MAPS promised to bring therapeutic MDMA to market on the back of philanthropic donations. But then it morphed into a for-profit concern — and with FDA approval looming, Big Pharma is trying to get in on the act.
Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories has given it a special know-how in imposing military control over civilians. Governments around the world admire its example — and are ever keener to import its repressive technologies.
Alcohol consumption has skyrocketed in recent decades, and so, too, have alcohol-related deaths. Putting the industry under public control could push back against the public health crisis — and show how to regulate other drugs.
The US spends around $48 billion on the war on drugs each year. The massive spending doesn’t do much to stop drug use, but it has been a major boon for arms and security contractors and human rights abusers around the world.
Last week, Ken Loach was kicked out of the Labour party. In his first interview since his expulsion, the socialist filmmaker told Jacobin that Keir Starmer’s purge of the Left is driving the party to destruction.