An in-depth, insightful, accessible and entertaining study of the world's most controversial weed - and, after tobacco, alcohol and aspirin, the world's most widely taken drug.
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An in-depth, insightful, accessible and entertaining study of the world's most controversial weed - and, after tobacco, alcohol and aspirin, the world's most widely taken drug.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.
“"Booth tells this story with admirable restraint…this book should be on the shelf of anyone interested in human freedom and bad laws." -Independent "So good that no one will need to do another for at least fifty years…mesmerizing detail, fantastical digressions, lots of jokes and wry asides that give you so many giggles." -Literary Review”
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
A testament to the late Booth that he could make such a boring subject so interesting. Sunday Times
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
After two puffs on a marijuana cigarette, I was turned into a bat. -- Dr James Munch, pharmacologist
'Amazingly informative...fascinating stuff' Financial Times
An internationally known and admired writer and biographer, Martin Booth was also an acclaimed novelist - his THE INDUSTRY OF SOULS having been shortlisted for the 1998 Booker Prize. His penultimate book was CANNABIS- A HISTORY, and he died in February 2004 shortly after completing GWEILO.
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.
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