Hacker News Reader

> Under the Commerce Clause, which I think is a bit of a stretch, but hey, that's the Commerce Clause for ya

My favorite bit of the federal drug policy: magic mushrooms grew wild on my college campus since...forever. There was in no way, by any stretch of the imagination, 'interstate commerce' involved in any part of their life cycle yet it was a federal crime to pick them.

How's that work?

View on HN

Because you picking said mushrooms affects interstate commerce, which after dude's new deal would fall under the control of the commerce clause. Prior to fdr only people and things in interstate commerce could be controlled

Bingo! In fact, the specific precedent cited by the Supreme Court for convicting marijuana growers in CA was the price controls on agricultural produce during the New Deal era.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com