A conversation with reporter Sam Quinones, author of “Dreamland” and "The Least of Us,” about how the shift from plant-based to synthetic illicit drugs has supercharged both addiction and trafficking profits, and how he thinks unchecked capitalism has contributed to the expansion of an addiction economy—legal and illegal—in the world today.
Episode Notes
* Subscribe to Sam’s The Dreamland Newsletter here.
* For more background on Mexican cartels, weapons trafficking and illicit drug flows, check out my 2025 interviews with Ioan Grillo and Chris Dalby.
* LA Times report referenced by Sam in the interview: “Mexico says it doesn’t have a fentanyl problem. New data reveal a hidden epidemic.”
You can listen to the audio-only version of this interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and the video version is also available on YouTube.
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