An interesting take on an issue that’s only continued to grow.

While I disagree with some of the authors conclusions, he did a good job laying out his reasoning.

For those that want an opposing viewpoint to the more mainstream thoughts about this issue, this is a good choice.

Definitely eye opening book!! Would suggest for an informative read. I learned a lot with this book due to my chronic illnesses and how it could work.

Excellent read. Great work , This book should be read by any and all who have concern about what is happening in your country and with this industry. Be ready to be presented with many facts very interesting read

There was some good information in this book. I appreciated the insight on the issues of an unregulated industry. However, many of would like more regulations on the marijuana industry.

I do see issues with recreational marijuana and found some of Ben Cort’s points to be valid. I believe many states go too quickly from medical to recreational. However, much of the discussion on medical marijuana I did not agree with. It is obvious Ben Cort has never dealt with chronic pain. I do not recommend this book to anyone researching cannabis. If you are wanting to research medical marijuana a better book to read is The Medical Marijuana Guide by Patricia C. Frye MD or Cannabis for Chronic Pain: A Proven Prescription for Using Marijuana to Relieve Your Pain and Heal Your Life by Rav Ivker.

I don’t usually write reviews this way. When I looked through my notes, I did not see another way to review this book other than to dispute some of its claims.
Here are some of his claims and my disagreement:
THC has little is any medicinal qualities. - That is false. I have suffered from chronic pain for 8 years. I've tried non-prescription things like, chryotherpy, physical therapy, kienesology, float tank, 2 hour weekly massages, to name a few. Then I went to more that four specialists and pain management clinic, had trigger point injections and tried prescription medications (savella, cymbalta, amirix, gabapentin, nortriptyline, tramadol, naltrexone, soma, flexeril, methodarbamol, eight topical prescriptions). None of those or a combination of those has helped as much as cannabis. I also use CBD on its own for three years. CBD took the edge off my pain but it never replaced any of my medication on its own. the combination of CBD and THC helps much more and with more lasting effects. Once I got my pain under control I was able to back off on how much I use and goal is to get to the point of only using CBD.
There is no way to test for pain - False. You can look at my medical records over the past eight years to see the number of things I have tried that did not relieve the pain or allow me to function normally throughout the day. Medical Marijuana should not be the first treatment, it was my last.
It will hurt again when you are not “stoned”-First of all, I try not to get stoned. With medicinal products, it would be more effective to medicate without getting stoned. When treating pain you look for a 1 to 1 ratio, which won’t cause you to get high. Many times for medicinal purposes you increase the CBD which reduced the chance of getting high even more. I would never use just THC for pain relief on purpose. It would only happen if you can’t get access to the high CBD products or you don’t know what your source is providing. When I just used CBD the relief did not last long. With cannabis, I can go days without the pain returning. Many of my prescription medications would stop working if I skipped a dose and I would get withdrawal symptoms. It is not a cure it is pain management.
Ben stated that the water regulations in California were in effect due to cannabis farming. I found that comment enlightening. However, I lived in California 35 years ago and we had the same regulations of not being able to take long showers, can’t water your lawn, need to request water when dining out. I’ve never heard it blamed holy on Cannabis farming before. I doubt that is the whole problem.
He had the audacity to suggest we just use ibuprofen- Do you really think I would throw away that much time and money looking for pain relief if all I needed to do was take an over the counter medication?
Ben suggested Sativex or Marinol- I was excited about this new information and researched it immediately. Only to find out that Sativex is not available in the US and costs $300. Marinol is just THC so I wouldn’t consider this for pain relief.
No welfare for weed- No S_ _ t. That's not a weed problem, that’s a welfare problem. I thought there were requirements on what you could purchase at the grocery store with welfare checks or food stamps (no junk food). Why would the government allow you to cash a welfare check?
you don’t smoke medicine- If your not in a state where medical marijuana is legal you don’t have much choice, that’s all you can get. Let’s go back to the way they used to handle medical marijuana in Maryland. Previously, you didn’t need to be a resident to have a consult with a medical marijuana Dr. If I get cancer I’ll be seeking the best treatment at Mayo Clinic. I should have that same right with medical marijuana. That would keep the dispensaries where they are already established and states that wanted the tax revenue from cannabis can have it.
You want to say it’s medicinal, then treat it as such with testing and regulations.-AMEN. That’s what we're asking for, testing, regulations, and access to all US residents.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Informative and to the point, Cort casts an interesting point of what the Industry will to cash in on the next check, regardless of health laws and consequences. Harkening to near-propoganda by means of creating false beliefs in as-yet unproved scientific fields of study regarding excessive use of THC, Cort makes you ask the question "What people do for money".

Excellent, thorough, thought-provoking book.
Subject of use and recovery is blurred somewhat because of author's combined marijuana AND alcohol addictions.

Oh, this was so unexpected. I guess much like craft beers, everyone sells out. So sad. I was certainly looking forward to weed as a natural way to alleviate pain. But it's business, BIG Business, as usual. Nothing ever stays the same and I am afraid for our children. Our culture is not good anymore. It's all about the money and nothing else. For everyone who doesn't have the money, it's all about escaping- whether alcohol, drugs, what have you. Welcome to the Roman Empire! Ben Cort paints a sad picture of legalized weed. Worthwhile to read if legal weed is pending in your state, or, if it isn't, what you may be able to protect yourself from in the future. Well-researched, writing a bit stiff, more a rant in some places, but it gets his point across and isn't difficult to read. Pretty quick one, too, as it cuts to the core.

Excellent factual read.The research that went into the writing of this book is phenomenal and his own experience gives it authenticity.

I found this book to be quite a scary read. I've had concern about my country's (Canada) legalization of pot for some time. I say this not because I have no experience with pot but because I do. There are real and legitimate concerns that should not be just swept away and ignored. The book is rather alarmist in tone but perhaps that is necessary to bring attention to problem issues. The book is also interesting, thoughtful and informative. Recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this wasn't what I was expecting. This is a very, very preachy look into today's weed culture and industry. The author was repetitive and I feel, lacked citations. This is an okay read for someone who already knows a bit about the topic but isn't by any means comprehensive or unbiased.

At the moment I will only give a rating to the book and I hope it is possible for me to write down my reviews on Amazon. Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. I am very grateful to you because your publications are great, especially in the topics that interest me most. Thanks and blessings.

I was interested in learning what the real consequences of widespread marijuana legalization and how effective the legitimate medicinal uses of the substance are. The author's status as a recovering addict and a professional in the field of treatment lends the work real credibility, along with references that readers can follow for themselves to verify facts and seek more in-depth analyses.

I found this book to be a bit ponderous with some repetitive information. It has a lot of data that seem to be more biased toward the prohibition mindset. Since it is written by an ex addict who lobbied against full legalization I feel it is somewhat biased and lacking total objectivity. It was a somewhat interesting read from that standpoint, however I struggled to finish reading it.