Customer Reviews

Marijuana Reconsidered

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For what it's worth, one interesting thing about this book is that the essay by Mr. X has been positively attributed to the luminant Carl Sagan by Grinspoon himself. Sagan discusses his experiences with mj, and provides persuasive and convincing accounts of his experiences. Very interesting.

Dr. Grinspoon examines - and thoroughly debunks - many of the common misconceptions about marijuana. The Chemistry and Pharmacology chapter is rather heavy going, but it can be ignored with little loss by non-pharmacologists. I thoght the book was quite well done and useful in understanding the role, past and present, of marijuana in society.

Dr Grinspoon is one of the World's leading authorities on medicinal uses of cannabis. He makes a good case for the re-introduction of cannabis to mitigate symptoms of many conditions. Unfortunately, drugs must be thoroughly tested, which costs millions. No pharmaceutical company will fund testing of a herb you can grow on your window sill for free :-(

This comprehensive book examines marijuana use. It is an excellet resources for people researching medical studies before marijuana became illegal.

A literature search the author conducted of around 100 scientific articles on medical research on marijuana did not find as many medicinal benefits as the author had hypothesized. Yet the research was in its infancy and abruptly decreased.

The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was established in 1930, at a time marijuana was illegal in 16 states. By 1937, almost all states had banned marijuana. It is noted that when Prohibition was repealed, the liquor manufacturers supported the continued demise of their competitor of marijuana.

The FBN declared that marijuana caused aggressive and hostile behavior leading to violent crimes and savage sexual acts. The cases were cites as showing marijuana led to murder and rape. It is noted these ten cases were voluntary comments by prisoners hoping their cooperation would reduce their sentences. A 1934 study of 2,216 convicted felons in New York found only 7 of 361 psychopaths had smoked marijuana at length.

A 1933 study of U.S. soldiers in the Panama Canal Zone found marijuana was mostly harmless.

The author notes several 19th century through modern writings describe marijuana as one that increases awareness and is not, as critics claim an escape from reality.

The author observes the effects of marijuana can vary among people. Some report feeling various sensations from dizziness, twitching, floating feelings, feeling lightness, feeling heaviness, feeling head pressure, etc. Many report hunger feelings and a feeling of euphoria.

A study by F.T. Melges et. Al. concluded that marijuana causes temporal disruptions that can affect perceptions, memory, and expectations. There was a loss in recall, visual distortion, and some experienced a loss of time perspective.

Various studies found marijuana increased sensory perceptions. Sometimes marijuana use would achieve nonlinear conceptual leaps that were difficult for others to comprehend. Some marijuana users claimed it enhanced creativity, but the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1930 disagreed with this claim. The AMA found marijuana caused a combination of stimulation and depressive tendencies.

A U.S. Army study of 310 marijuana users found they used marijuana to feel better. Some reported it eased psychic pain, nerves, and headaches.

85% of 54 white middle income users aged 18 to 30 in a study reported they felt better using marijuana than drinking alcohol.

John Steinbeck IV reported about three fourths of American military personnel smoked marijuana in Vietnam. The military seemed to feel there was no use in fighting this widespread use. In fact, using marijuana helped calm military personnel, alleviated the drudgers of their work, and helped them overcome fear.

W.B. O'Shaughnessy of the Medical College of Calcutta found marijuana useful as a muscle relaxant and for preventing convulsions. Dr. R.R. M'Meens reported to the Ohio State Medical Society in 1880 that marijuana helped with hemorrhages, rheumatic pain, asthma, gonorrhea, chronic bronchitis, postpartum depression, dysmenorrhea, and could be used by analgesic during labor. Both Olshaughnessy and M'Meens observed that marijuana stimulated appetite which could help a person with anorexia nervosa.

Mattisen found marijuana relieved migraine pains and prevent migraines.

H.A. Hare in 1887 found marijuana relieved pain. He noted it could be used as a topical anesthetic and observed some dentists used it as such.

J.P. Davis and H.H. Ramsey concluded in a study of five epilepsy children that marijuana did not control grand mal epilepsy.

J. Kabelik, Z. Krejci, and F. Santary found marijuana cured an infection that was not cured by penicillin or other antibiotics.

E. Birch in 1889 found marijuana could overcome opiate addiction.
Dr. H.H. Kane in 1881 found marijuana, in a study of one patient, could be used to overcome alcohol addiction. S. Allentuck and K.M. Bowman in 1942 found marijuana could be used to overcome opiate addiction. L.J. Thompson and R.C. Proctor found marijuana helped overcome alcohol, barbiturate, and narcotic addictions.

J.J. Moreau in 1845 reported using marijuana for treating melancholia, hypomania, and general chronic mental illness. Subsequent papers found conflicting results with mental illness. In 1947, G.T. Stockings found synthetic marijuana significantly improved 36 of 50 patients with depression. O.A. Pond in 1948 found no effects in treating depression with synthetic marijuana.

Marijuana was found to not be addictive in a 1904 study by G.F. W. Ewens, a 1925 Panama Canal Zone Governor's Committee study, a 1934 W. Bromberg study, and a J.F. Silver et. al. study finding only 15% of marijuana users stated they "missed marijuana when deprived of it."

Most studies have failed to connect, or indicated that in only a few cases, that cannabis use was associated with psychosis. There are some theories cannabis may reduce the development of psychosis by dulling its effects.

Society reacted against marijuana. Georgia law (in 1971) called for life imprisonment for an adult selling marijuana to someone under age 21. The death penalty was called for a second offense.

Marihuana Reconsidered is without a doubt the most important and incendiary look at cannabis today. Although those not inclined to read should be directed to the 2009 documentary The Union (very well done, but not nearly so thorough as associate professor emeritus of harvard medical school)anyone willing to put in the effort will find themselves extremely well versed in the whole truth about cannabis. Lester Grinspoon is just about as credible an author can get. More people need to read this book. It doesn't matter if you want to use marijuana. This is an issue that may very well be decided in the next few years. In November Californians will be voting on Proposition 19 to legalize, regulate and tax cannabis for recreational use for adults over the age of 21. This would not nullify federal law, but since 97% of marijuana arrests are at the state level it is certainly a big deal. 14 states have legal medical cannabis. This is relevant to everyone looking for a thorough, credible and scientific account on the truth about the plant people have loved to smoke for thousands of years. Did they just not know any better? Most people know it has 4-5 times the tar of tobacco cigarettes. That sounds gross, but does it cause cancer? Emphysema? Kill brain cells? Lead to hard use? Dr. Lester Grinspoon uses his own studies and those funded by the US government (and then ignored) to prove decidedly that it does none of this and it is in fact the safest psychoactive substance known to man. Intrigued, but not ready to by the book? Check out some interviews where Grinspoon reveals what his research demonstrated. Even for those who hate the idea of marijuana, it should be difficult to ignore a man of Grinspoon's esteem telling the world that until he looked into the studies available he was brainwashed about cannabis like everyone else.

TLDR: He's the world's leading authority on Marijuana. If you want to learn about cannabis, then read Dr. Grinspoon!!!
[...]

This is just amazing and its very true, why dont they put people who smoke cigarettes in jail it hurts your lungs and doesnt help anyone. This goes to show that marijuana can do a lot for this world