Cannabis

To some it's antisocial anathema, to others it is a harmless way to relax, or provides relief from crippling pain. Some fear it is a dangerous drug that leads to 'reefer madness' and addiction; to others still it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, pot, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganja - incites debate at every level. In this definitive study, Martin Booth - author of the acclaimed OPIUM: A HISTORY - charts the history of cannabis from the Neolithic period to the present day. It is a fascinating, colourful tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians, hippies and pot-heads. Booth chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis, a relatively harmless substance, became outlawed throughout the Western world, and the devastating effect such legislation has had on the global economy. Above all, he demonstrates how the case for decriminalization remains one of the twenty-first century's hottest topics.

ISBN 0553814184   DEWEY edition DC22 ISBN13 9780553814187 (What's this?)   Pages 480 Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd   Weight (grammes) 320 Imprint Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)   Published in London Format Paperback   Height (mm) 199 Publication date 05 Jul 2004   Width (mm) 128 Library of Congress RC568.C2   Spine width (mm) 26 DEWEY 362.29509   Academic level General

To some it's anathema, to others it provides relief from crippling pain: to others still, it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganga - incites debate at every level and its impact on the world's cultures and economies is undeniable. Dating back to the Neolithic period, the history of cannabis is a tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, cunning smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians and happy-go-lucky hipples and pot-heads.

'Enlightening...a very engaging history.', Daily Telegraph .'Booth tells this story with admirable restraint...this book should be on the shelf of anyone interested in human freedoms and bad laws.', Independent .'So good no one will need to do another for at least fifty years...mesmerizing detail, fantastical digressions, lots of jokes and wry asides.', James Delingpole, Literary Review ."Amazingly informative...fascinating stuff", Financial Times .'After two puffs on a marijuana cigarette, I was turned into a bat.', Dr James Munch, pharmacologist, .'A colourful tale ... Chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis became outlawed throughout the Western world, and the devastating effect such legislation has had on the global economy.', Sunday Telegraph .'A testament to the late Booth that he could make such a boring subject so interesting.', Sunday Times

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