The Benefits of Marijuana by Joan Bello

The USA has a long history of solving problems by banning things, and it always makes the problem worse. In the 1920’s, it was alcohol, then in the 1950’s it was rock n’ roll (how else can you explain massive outbreaks of juvenile delinquency?) and mini skirts. After that, it was porno. In some states, it was snowboarding. Then it was tattooing. Now there’s a city in New Jersey that banned sagging pants. Some folks just never learn.

Marijuana is the subject of one of the longest bans on anything in the USA, and according to this book, the ban stems from a “comfort zone.” It seems that conservatives aren’t sure what would happen after it’s legalized, so they retreat to their corner and keep it illegal. They ignore the fact that the negative reports were greatly exaggerated and that the serious studies were highly positive.

Joan Bello’s book on this subject is extensive and thorough. She covers all the health benefits of marijuana, including its use as a replacement for alcohol. If the alcoholic is already depressed and drinks to forget his/her trouble, then they’re not going to just stop drinking outright. I agree that you need to be realistic about addiction, and sometimes you need to replace one addiction with another. Then of course there are the benefits of the herb when undergoing chemotherapy.

My only problems with the book are the writing style and the lack of case studies, except for a few stories about personal experiences. I also found the story about her son a little disturbing; she claims to have given marijuana to her son when he was six or eleven, and I would questions giving ANY intoxicant to a child of that age. I agree that marijuana is less risky than prescription drugs, but I would be wary of taking a child off anti-seizure medication in favor of marijuana.