I have a new piece up at Liberalism.org about the rise of illicit markets for nicotine, fueled by illiberal public policy:

In January of this year, authorities in Iraq arrested an alleged drug kingpin named Kazem Hamad. Hamad is accused of operating a criminal network in Australia netting hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit sales. This organized crime often turned violent, with police recording countless instances of extortion, hundreds of arsons, and several homicides, including one taking the life of an unrelated bystander. None of this is atypical for gang-driven drug trafficking. What makes Hamad’s case unique is that one of the main drugs he trafficked is legal throughout the world, including in Australia. His criminal empire was built on nicotine.

Read the whole thing!