Godfrey Pearlson

Reviews - first edition

 

"…the great surprise about Weed Science is the writing. Most readers, myself among them, struggle to slog through the numbing jargon of journal articles - they can often be as dry as that old bag of marijuana that was stashed in the garage three years ago and forgotten. Dr. Pearlson is a fine writer with a well-honed sense of humor that adds some sheen to material that could otherwise come off as dutifully academic. Even though he takes science seriously he also makes it enjoyable - no easy feat."

Joe Dolce, author, Brave New Weed: Adventures into the Uncharted World of Cannabis

1. Introduction - how the author became acquainted with cannabis.
2. Good Science and Bad Science - how science helps us think about contentious social issues.
3. Holi - what an ancient Hindu festival can teach us about safe marijuana use.
4. Archaeology and Ethnobotany - the long historical relationship humans have with cannabis.
5. Neuroscience - the endocannabinoid system, how it evolved and what it does.
6. Psychology + Human Behavior - what is it like to be stoned and what goes on in our brains when we are buzzed.
7. Epidemiology - what can population studies tell us about cannabis risks?
8. Toxicology - cannabis' side effects and how they occur. Synthetic cannabinoids.
9. Chemical Analysis and Extraction - the eternal quest for a higher high.
10. Medical Marijuana and Clinical Trials - what's the evidence for marijuana as a medicine?
11. Economic/Business - who stands to gain and to lose, if cannabis is legalized in the US?
12. Summary/Conclusion - harm reduction; lessons from ending alcohol prohibition and from what's going on in Canada.