Cannabis A Complete Guide

Description

By Ernest Small
Hardcover book
ISBN 9781498761635

Cannabis sativa is best known as the source of marijuana, the world’s most widely consumed illicit recreational drug. However, the plant is also extremely useful as a source of stem fiber, edible seed oil, and medicinal compounds, all of which are undergoing extremely promising research, technological applications, and business investment. Indeed, despite its capacity for harm as a recreational drug, cannabis has phenomenal potential for providing new products to benefit society and for generating extensive employment and huge profits. Misguided policies, until recently, have prevented legitimate research on the beneficial properties of cannabis, but there is now an explosion of societal, scientific, and political support to reappraise and remove some of the barriers to usage. Unfortunately, there is also a corresponding dearth of objective analysis. Toward redressing the limitation of information, Cannabis: A Compete Guide is a comprehensive reference summarizing botanical, business, chemical, ecological, genetic, historical, horticultural, legal and medical considerations that are critical for the wise advancement and management of cannabis in its various forms.

This book documents both the risks and benefits of what is indisputable one of the world’s most important species. The conflicting claims for medicinal virtues and toxicological vices are examined, based mainly on the most recent authoritative scientific reviews. The attempt is made consistently to reflect majority scientific opinion, although many aspects of cannabis are controversial. Aside from the relevance to specialists, the general public should find that most people have limited appreciation of the importance of science to their lives, except when a topic like marijuana becomes sensationalized. This review of cannabis can serve as a vehicle for public education in the realm of science and technology. Indeed, towards the goal of disseminating the important information in this book to a wide audience, the presentation is user-friendly, concise, and well-illustrated in the hope that non-specialists will fin d the topics both informative and entertaining.

Features:

• Serves as the most comprehensive available guide for scientists, doctors, economists, students, industries, and governments to evaluate risks and benefits of all aspects of cannabis.
• Incorporates a very high level of scholarship, including a thorough and up-to-date analysis of the literature (with more than 1,700 literature citations). almost half a century of personally published research by the author, and consultations with leading experts.
• The text is accessible, user-friendly, concise, and well-organized, making numerous complex topics comprehensible and easily digested, and therefore readable not only by specialists but also by students and the general public.
• Over 500 high-quality illustrations are included, mostly in color, complementing the text.
• Numerous topics are presented in an entertaining fashion, including a section for each chapter that features memorable, fascinating, or humorous facts.