El Narco

This week on Fresh Air, an interview with Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco: The Trade Driving Mexico's Drug War.

Listen now, or download on itunes. The itunes release date was 10/26/11.

Psychedelics

Last week To the Best of Our Knowledge did a fascinating show about the research being done on psychedelic drugs.

Listen now, or download on itunes. The itunes release date was 6/2/11.

Central America's Drug War

I once heard the war on drugs described as a game of whack-a-mole. Suppress it in one area, and it just pops up in another. A few years ago the problem was rooted in Colombia, now it's Mexico, but where next? Potentially Central America. Listen to this story on NPR.

The economics of illegal drugs

Freeway Ricky Ross was one of the largest crack dealers in Los Angeles. In 1996 he was sentenced to life in prison, but in 2009 he was released on parole. What does he do now? Hangs out with the Planet Money team and talks about the economics of drug trading.

Listen now, or download on itunes. The itunes release date was 4/12/11.

To learn more about the economics of the illegal drug trade, reference HBO's The Wire:

Drugs and society

This episode of the "Cato Daily Podcast" takes a bold look at the war on drugs, and the effect it is having on society. Thanks to Scott in Fort Worth for sending this one in my direction.

This podcast is no longer available on itunes, but you can listen now by clicking below.