With abortion on the Nov. 5 ballot, we look back at Steve Levitt’s controversial research about an unintended consequence of Roe v. Wade.

• SOURCES:
  • John Donohue, professor of law at Stanford Law School.
  • Steve Levitt, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago and host of People I (Mostly) Admire.
  • Jessica Wolpaw Reyes, professor of economics at Amherst College.

• RESOURCES:
  • “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime Over the Last Two Decades,” by John J. Donohue and Steven D. Levitt (The National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019).
  • “The Demise of the Death Penalty in Connecticut,” by John J. Donohue (Stanford Law School Legal Aggregate, 2016).
  • “Environmental Policy as Social Policy? The Impact of Childhood Lead Exposure on Crime,” by Jessica Wolpaw Reyes (The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 2007).
  • “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime,” by John J. Donohue and Steven D. Levitt (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2001).
  • “State Abortion Rates: The Impact of Policies, Providers, Politics, Demographics, and Economic Environment,” by Rebecca M. Blank, Christine C. George, and Rebecca A. London (The National Bureau of Economic Research, 1994).

• EXTRAS:
  • "John Donohue: 'I’m Frequently Called a Treasonous Enemy of the Constitution,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

There are a lot of reasons, including heavy regulations, high taxes, and competition from illegal weed shops. Most operators are losing money and waiting for Washington to get out of the way. In the meantime, it’s not that easy being green. (Part two of a four-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Jon Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Adam Goers, senior vice president of The Cannabist Company and chairperson of the Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform.
  • Precious Osagie-Erese, founder and C.E.O. of Precious Canna Co.
  • Nikesh Patel, C.E.O. of Mammoth Distribution.
  • Nikesh Patel, director of the San Francisco Office of Cannabis.
  • Tom Standage, deputy editor of The Economist.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Most Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana for Medical, Recreational Use," (Pew Research Center, 2024).
  • "Whitney Economics U.S. Legal Cannabis Forecast - 2024 - 2035," by Beau Whitney (Whitney Economics, 2024).
  • "Beer Sellers Use a Loophole to Break Into Weed Drinks Market," by Redd Brown (Bloomberg, 2024).
  • "Cannabis Producer Seeks Boston Beer Merger," by Lauren Thomas (The Wall Street Journal, 2024).
  • "California's 'Apple Store of Weed' Declares Bankruptcy With $410M in Debt," by Lester Black (SFGate, 2024).
  • "Is the State Democratic Chair Influencing Who Can Sell Legal Weed in this N.J. City?" by Jelani Gibson (NJ.com, 2023).
  • "When Prohibition Works: Comparing Fireworks and Cannabis Regulations, Markets, and Harms," by Jonathan P. Caulkins and Kristina Vaia Reimer (International Journal of Drug Policy, 2023).
  • "Did Minnesota Accidentally Legalize Weed?" by Paul Demko (Politico, 2022).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is America Switching From Booze to Weed?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "The Economics of Sports Gambling," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).

We have always been a nation of drinkers — but now there are more daily users of cannabis than alcohol. Considering alcohol’s harms, maybe that’s a good thing. But some people worry that the legalization of cannabis has outpaced the research. (Part one of a four-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Jon Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai.
  • Michael Siegel, professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University.
  • Tom Standage, deputy editor of The Economist.
  • Ryan Stoa, associate professor of law at Louisiana State University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Cannabis Tops Alcohol as Americans’ Daily Drug of Choice," by Christina Caron (The New York Times, 2024).
  • "Deaths from Excessive Alcohol Use — United States, 2016–2021," by Marissa B. Esser, Adam Sherk, Yong Liu, and Timothy S. Naimi (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024).
  • "Nixon Started the War on Drugs. Privately, He Said Pot Was ‘Not Particularly Dangerous,'" by Ernesto Londoño (The New York Times, 2024).
  • "A Brief Global History of the War on Cannabis," by Ryan Stoa (The MIT Press Reader, 2020).
  • Craft Weed: Family Farming and the Future of the Marijuana Industry, by Ryan Stoa (2018).
  • "How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat," by Anahad O’Connor (The New York Times, 2016).
  • "The Perils of Ignoring History: Big Tobacco Played Dirty and Millions Died. How Similar Is Big Food?" by Kelly D. Brownell and Kenneth E. Warner (The Milbank Quarterly, 2009).
  • A History Of The World In Six Glasses, by Tom Standage (2005).
  • "Cancer and Coronary Artery Disease Among Seventh-Day Adventists," by E. L. Wynder, F. R. Lemon, and I. J. Bross (Cancer, 1959).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Is the Opioid Epidemic Still Raging?" series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
  • "Let’s Be Blunt: Marijuana Is a Boon for Older Workers," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
  • "What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?" by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

Are betting markets more accurate than polls? What kind of chaos would a second Trump term bring? And is U.S. democracy really in danger, or just “sputtering on”? (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Eric Posner, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School.
  • Koleman Strumpf, professor of economics at Wake Forest University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "A Trump Dictatorship Won’t Happen," by Eric Posner (Project Syndicate, 2023).
  • The Demagogue's Playbook: The Battle for American Democracy from the Founders to Trump, by Eric Posner (2020).
  • "The Long History of Political Betting Markets: An International Perspective," by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman Strumpf (The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Gambling, 2013).
  • "Manipulating Political Stock Markets: A Field Experiment and a Century of Observational Data," by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman S. Strumpf (Working Paper, 2007).
  • "Historical Presidential Betting Markets," by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman S. Strumpf (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2004).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • “Does the President Matter as Much as You Think?” by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
  • "How Much Does the President Really Matter?" by Freakonomics Radio (2010).