Marijuana is very much in the news, with the upcoming General Election, and the ballot measure in California to legalize and tax cannabis, and in Oregon a measure to allow medical marijuana dispensaries, as in California. Mexico’s current and former presidents are advocating serious consideration of legalizing drugs to help mitigate the drug-cartel violence of the last few years. We also consider the history of the current prohibition, dating back to the 1930s and William Randolph Hearst, and the failure of the war on drugs to reduce supply, and the continued failure to devote any serious resources to drug-demand reduction and education efforts.