Understanding Marijuana

A New Look at the Scientific Evidence

Mitch Earleywine

What are we to make of the 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. Mitch 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 is the definitive primer on our most controversial and widely used illicit substance.

Understanding Marijuana

A New Look at the Scientific Evidence

Mitch Earleywine

Description

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.

Understanding Marijuana

A New Look at the Scientific Evidence

Mitch Earleywine

1. Highlights in the History of Cannabis
2. Cannabis Use and Misuse
3. Stepping Stones, Gateways, and the Prevention of Drug Problems
4. Marijuana's Impact on Thought and Memory
5. Subjective Effects
6. Cannabis Pharmacology
7. Marijuana's Health Effects
8. Medical Marijuana
9. Social Problems: Amotivational Syndrome, Reckless Driving, and Aggression
10. Law and Policy
11. Treatment for Marijuana Problems
12. Final Thoughts

Understanding Marijuana

A New Look at the Scientific Evidence

Mitch Earleywine

Author Information

Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Clinical Science and Director of Clinical Training in Psychology at the University of Southern California. He has received nine teaching awards for his courses on drugs and human behavior and is a leading researcher in psychology and addictions. He is Associate Editor of The Behavior Therapist.

Understanding Marijuana

A New Look at the Scientific Evidence

Mitch Earleywine

Reviews and Awards

A Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2004

Understanding Marijuana

A New Look at the Scientific Evidence

Mitch Earleywine

From Our Blog

420, cannabis, illegality, and the cost of prohibition

By Mitch Earleywine Cannabis became essentially illegal in the United States in 1937. Perhaps this 75 year experiment has provided enough data for some informed decisions. We're up to over 800,000 arrests each year, with government spending billions annually on marijuana control. Yet more people have tried the plant than ever before. Several authors suggest that alternatives to prohibition might prove cheaper, send fewer people through our courts, and maintain respect for the law. It seems oddly un-American that a citizen can go to jail for owning a plant, especially here in the land of the free. But change is scary, and fear runs politics in frightening ways.

Posted on April 20, 2012

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