Book description
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.
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.
