Customer Reviews

The Great Books of Cannabis, Book II

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Cherniak's underground books about Cannabis and Hashish, first published in the late 1970's and early 1980's have achieved cult status due the author's intense focus on the topic, the many illustrations, his forward-thinking belief that methods of marijuana horticulture should be shared, his commitment to globe-trotting research, his ability to network, his almost messianic desire to communicate aspects of certain drug-using subcultures, and his skills as a documentary photographer.

He produced three in his "great books" series and this one, the second, bears the a title which is rather a mouthful: The Great Books of Cannabis and Other Drugs or Researching the Pleasures of the High Society: Volume I: Book II. (To make matters more confusing, Volume I is known in its earliest printings as The Great Books of Hashish but was then apparently re-titled The Great Books of Cannabis.)

Luminaries appear here! Timothy Leary wrote the introduction and Richard Evan Schultes, the Harvard professor who created ethnobiology (Plants of the Gods) gives this book a ringing, full-page endorsement.

The quality of printing and production here is on the cheap side but not as bad as it might be. The entire book is loaded with color photographs. And most pervasive and persuasive is the personality of the author -- a scamp, a rebel, a prophet.

The principle topics of this book are, according to Cherniak: Cannabis Around the World, Sinsemilla Production in the United States, All-Star Stash, and Opium: The Black Harvest. Also included is a map of world pot use, a history of pot, a page of pictures of the author in various locales.

This book is dated - but that is its whole charm. As a window into the cannabis scene of the 70s, this book is unparalleled. Also has some valuable information on landrace varieties which the world sorely needs to revive. Some of the writing is amateurish but that is part of the spirit of this book. Not an ideal reference, but is a wonderful addition to any cannabis library.