We’ve each developed some first-hand knowledge of the versatile cannabis plant. Yet, whatever we know has also been influenced by almost 100 years of prohibition. A sustained campaign of disinformation, waged by the U.S. government, has poisoned perceptions and expectations about cannabis. For generations.
Now, a new normal is emerging, as the cannabis legalization movement rolls through the U.S. and across the world. Scientific discovery has progressed. In the past 20 or so years, we’ve discovered that:
- Everything with a backbone has an endocannabinoid system, which governs sleep, mood, appetite and other essential functions.
- We produce cannabinoids endogenously.
- We can supplement our own cannabinoids with phyto-cannabinoids.
- There are legitimate medicinal applications for cannabis.
Maybe the most important thing we’ve learned: There’s a lot more to learn about cannabis! There are many ways to do this: You could watch documentaries; follow cannabis-knowledgeable people on Twitter; or find books by people who have done the research and packaged good information into well-written books. Whether on a Kindle or in actual print, we still like to pick up a good book; here are some of the top books about cannabis we've found.
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America
Want to quickly and easily brush up on your knowledge of weed, and understand how prohibition really went down? Pick up a copy of Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America, by Box Brown.
You may have heard that cannabis prohibition came about through racism. It's believable, since to this day, race is still being used as a wedge to divide and exploit us, right? But how exactly was racism used to convince us, against our best interests, that cannabis is not just bad, but ruinous?
Brown breaks it down, panel by panel and page by page, with a well-researched narrative that shows how Harry Anslinger, first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics, systematically placed false stories in newspapers (fake news!) to cast Mexicans, blacks and jazz musicians as criminal elements who performed horribly evil deeds under the influence of marijuana. Anslinger had help from William Randolph Hearst, the Rupert Murdoch of his day, and local and federal law enforcement and the prison apparatus.
Brown's excellent Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America, published in April 2019, is a good choice for the ‘reluctant reader.' Billed as a graphic novel, though not actually a novel, it's essentially a long comic book, bound in hardcover (available too on the Kindle, but is that any way to read a comic book?).
We're at a strange moment, when most of the public now realizes that cannabis is a powerful medicine and a tool for good health, while a minority clings to the outmoded myths of reefer madness. If you want to better understand how we got here, pick up a copy of Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America. It's a quick, fun read, and you'll definitely increase your store of cannabis knowledge.
The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Save Your Life
Published in October of 2018, and not so little at 216 pages, The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life, by Vancouver-based journalist Amanda Siebert is a well-organized and highly readable book that will update your cannabis knowledge.
In 10 chapters, Siebert lays out how cannabis can make a positive difference in in your life, from improving sleep, to reducing anxiety, boosting mood and creativity, managing pain, easing the aging process and of course, improving sex.
Each chapter begins with a true story, about people like you and me who have used cannabis for legitimate medicinal purposes. long with anecdotes, Siebert provides plenty of science, without going over the heads of most readers.
The Little Book of Cannabis is a worthwhile read: It will add to your expertise in the most important aspects of cannabis; the practical, everyday ways that this plant can improve your life.
Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction
$13.99
We look to physicians to heal us and help us stay healthy. But what happens when a medical doctor becomes an addict?
It happened to Peter Grinspoon, M.D., and he examines the experience from several angles in the unflinching Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction.
The son of early cannabis advocate Lester Grinspoon, M.D., Peter navigates the tricky terrain of his fall from the privileged class, and the difficult struggle he faced to rescue his career, and his life.
Issues related to addiction touch us all. If you want a better understanding of how a compassionate, common-sense approach can help resolve these issues, pick up a copy of Free Refills.
Related products
The Essential Cannabis Book
$13.36
As we uncover new knowledge about cannabis, there are a lot of questions about how it works as medicine, who might want to use and and so on. Rob Mejia tackles these questions and many more in The Essential Cannabis Book: A Field Guide for the Curious.
Part coffee-table book, part reference guide and part storybook, this field guide is the result of Mejia's experience in caring for his sister Theresa, who was suffering from cancer. When Mejia researched and discovered the powerful medicinal properties of cannabis, he soon developed an obsession with telling others.
First, he created Our Community Harvest, a business focused on cannabis knowledge, foods and health-related products. He then produced this highly readable book, published in October 2018. Packed with anecdotes and practical know-how on how to integrate cannabis as a health-enhancing supplement in your life, it's an eye-opening book for skeptics, and a useful work for those already convinced.
Whether you're looking for a gift for someone who needs to know the truth about cannabis, or you want to increase your own knowledge, The Essential Cannabis Book is an excellent choice.