Gameland: Escape from Pirate Isle, An Exploration in Sequels

A sequel to another novel can be written as its own stand-alone book. Several authors have accomplished this, most notably J.K. Rowling in the early Harry Potter books. Other writers have failed in their attempts. Following Gameland: Warriors and Wizards, the sequel Escape from Pirate Isle is an attempt at writing a stand-alone book. Similar to the first story, Charles and Cindy, who are brother and sister, are magically transported into a board game to rescue their father. While the story was initially intended to stand on its own, in the end it does not, but not because the first novel needs to be read in order to understand it. Instead, it needs a sequel to be a complete story.

The Battle of the Bulge: The Surprising Last Stand Against State Marijuana Legalization

Although marijuana possession remains a federal crime, twenty-three states now allow use of marijuana for medical purposes and four states have adopted tax-and-regulate policies permitting use and possession by those twenty-one and over. In this article, I examine recent developments regarding marijuana regulation. I show that the Obama administration, after initially sending mixed signals, has taken several steps indicating an increasingly accepting position toward marijuana law reform in states; however the current situation regarding the dual legal status of marijuana is at best an unstable equilibrium. I also focus on what might be deemed the last stand of marijuana-legalization opponents, in the form of lawsuits filed by several states, sheriffs, and private plaintiffs challenging marijuana reform in Colorado (and by extension elsewhere). This analysis offers insights for federalism scholars regarding the speed with which marijuana law reform has occurred, the positions taken by various state and federal actors, and possible collaborative federalism solutions to the current state-federal standoff.