Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence Review

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(More customer reviews)The most commonly used illicit drug is marijuana. Probably it is the most controversial of all recreational drugs, as there are few people actively organizing for the reform of cocaine or heroin laws, but many would like to see marijuana laws changed. The debate on just how the laws should change and how marijuana ought to fit within American society has been plagued with misinformation long before the substance was made illegal by the federal government in 1937. The history, myths, and facts about the drug are set out anew in _Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence_ (Oxford University Press) by Mitch Earleywine. The book is extremely useful as a summary of the research that has been done on marijuana; there are twenty-five pages of references at the end to guide anyone who needs further information. Only a specialist will need the references. _Understanding Marijuana_ is a broad and fair summary.
There is an enormous amount of misinformation about the drug, and while those that favor use and legalization may have spread their share of misinformation, the history of marijuana in the twentieth century and entering this one is a history of one scare tactic after another wielded by government agencies and individuals who wish to suppress marijuana use. Earleywine's book spends one chapter after another summarizing the experiments and statistics to debunk the most common scare stories. Cannabis intoxication does not lead to hostility, violence, or a climbing murder rate. Marijuana is not a gateway drug. There is no amotivational syndrome from marijuana use. College students who use marijuana get the same sorts of grades as students who do not. Earleywine was taught in junior high that marijuana smokers would have Cyclops-like children, but the drug has not been linked to birth defects, nor to a definitive decrease in reproductive function. In fact, marijuana might help the relatively common problem of hypoactive sexual desire disorder, but as Earleywine wryly notes, "Despite this potential promise, studies of cannabis's impact on sexual drives have not been a high priority of most research funding agencies." The claim current in "public service" ads is that using marijuana somehow funds terrorists; this was perhaps too recent to be included here, or else simply too stupid.
This is a sensible book to show that "marijuana is neither completely harmless or tragically toxic," but that it has minimal detrimental effects especially compared to drugs that are currently legal. Not only has Earleywine summarized a lot of data here, he writes clearly and entertainingly, often with a sly joke as a gift to a reader swimming in a sea of data. For instance, he writes about interesting studies that show that marijuana users learn to smoke efficiently, gauging their lung capacity and the amount that can be held without coughing, so that they get more out of a joint than new users. "Many eventually learn to inhale and report more impact from the drug. Some never learn to inhale and subsequently run for public office."

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Marijuana is the world's most popular illicit drug, with hundreds of millions of regular users worldwide. One in three Americans has smoked pot at least once. The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates that Americans smoke five million pounds of marijuana each year. And yet marijuana remains largely misunderstood by both its advocates and its detractors. To some, marijuana is an insidious "stepping-stone" drug, enticing the inexperienced and paving the way to the inevitable abuse of harder drugs. To others, medical marijuana is an organic means of easing the discomfort or stimulating the appetite of the gravely ill. Others still view marijuana, like alcohol, as a largely harmless indulgence, dangerous only when used immoderately. All sides of the debate have appropriated the scientific evidence on marijuana to satisfy their claims. What then are we to make of these conflicting portrayals of a drug with historical origins dating back to 8,000 B.C.? Understanding Marijuana examines the biological, psychological, and societal impact of this controversial substance. What are the effects, for mind and body, of long-term use? Are smokers of marijuana more likely than non-users to abuse cocaine and heroine? What effect has the increasing potency of marijuana in recent years had on users and on use? Does our current legal policy toward marijuana make sense? Earleywine separates science from opinion to show how marijuana defies easy dichotomies. Tracing the medical and political debates surrounding marijuana in a balanced, objective fashion, this book will be the definitive primer on our most controversial and widely used illicit substance.

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