Welcome to the drug edition of The Highlight

Drugs are a perennial American concern, from the war on illegal drugs to our vast pharmaceutical industry. This month, Vox reporters looked at the current drug questions: What happens when weed replaces alcohol? Given high costs and various drug shortages, what role do expiration dates play? What Is Pink cocaine? We even have an interview with a biohacking anarchist about DIY medicine for The Highlight podcast.

There's also plenty of non-drug-related stuff you can enjoy: articles on how to reconcile after an estranged family and how to redesign your own backyard, recommendations from Vox's book critic, and an investigation about why nostalgia doesn't get us out of the loneliness epidemic.

Land of the free, home of the flaming.

It's not cocaine, but it can be pretty much anything other than a good idea.

The shelf life of Tylenol is longer than you think.

DMT, “the atomic bomb of the psychedelic family,” explains.

Expensive, legal weed is good news – for the black market.

Medicine shouldn't be so difficult to access – that's why the Four Thieves Vinegar Collective helps people make their own medicine.

There are practical, everyday ways to get out of your head and into the community.

One wildflower at a time.

Split-ticket voting, the Senate, down-bot questions and more.

By Eric Levitz and Christian Paz

It's not easy to get back in touch with someone you've cut ties with – but it can be done.

Check out the November issue of Ask a Book Critic for counter-surrealist novels, lesbian necromancers in space, and more.