Many conversations in cannabis often default to the need for more easily accessible education surrounding the topic, especially when it comes to young people. It goes without saying that cannabis education has become increasingly more available to consumers as medical and adult-use markets around the United, and beyond, have taken shape, but now a new book looks to further expand these conversations.
Weed: Cannabis Culture in the Americas by drug journalist Caitlin Donohue is set to hit bookshelves on Sept. 5. The groundbreaking book, aimed for a teenage audience, looks to provide young people with a resource of information on cannabis health, the impacts of the international Drug War on marginalized communities and the uses of hemp, among other topics.
“Humans have used cannabis for thousands of years, since Neolithic peoples sought out its medicinal benefits,” the book’s description reads. “But for the past century, its use has been largely criminalized. Stigma around cannabis has made it difficult for people of all ages to get straightforward answers about how to minimize health risks related to cannabis consumption or to understand how the plant has shaped and continues to shape society today.”
Dohonue told Benzinga that, since cannabis is “everywhere these days,” young people deserve “way more information” about the drug than they are getting today.
“Weed aims to demystify why we are stuck between legalization and prohibition of the drug. The book is written for teens, but it might also serve older folks who are confused about what, if any, information they should be sharing—or have questions of their own,” Donohue said.
Weed: Cannabis Culture in the Americas reviews cannabis in the Western Hemisphere, heavy with a number of cannabis-related perspectives across this side of the globe.
The book contains 17 interviews with a wide array of individuals with varied relationships to cannabis, including patients, politicians, artists, professors and more. The book features conversations with a 14-year-old medical cannabis patient from Buenos Aires; mary Jane Oatman, the founder of a Nez Perce cannabis magazine; Mauro Melgar, a Southern California auto shop owner who dealt with cannabis possession charges as a teenager, Lauana Malherio, a Brazilian anti-prohibition and anti-racism activist; and even Al Harrington, a former NBA player turned cannabis entrepreneur and activist, among other subjects.
So far, the book has already received acclaim from critics and industry experts alike, specifically praising its information and approachable format.
Kirkus Reviews called the book a “conversational exploration of the social context, possible harms, and potential benefits of cannabis,” nodding to its extensive research, global perspective and how these approaches highlight an approach focused on harm reduction, per Benzinga.
Felicia Carbajal, a community organizer and The Social Impact Center’s executive director, said that the book has arrived at the perfect time for our world. She said the book is a valuable resource for youth to explore sustainable solutions rooted in harm reduction.
“As we begin to see past the weeds (pun intended) to find sustainable solutions rooted in harm reduction for our youth, this is the book to share,” Carbajal said, according to Benzinga.
Drug policy advocate and Mexico’s Instituto RIA Director Zara Snapp also praised the book’s accessibility, engagement and evidence-based approach, nodding to Donohue’s overview of political changes in cannabis, combined with data and history. Snapp called the book “a must-have for young people and other curious readers,” according to Benzinga.
Donohue’s first book for young adults was She Represents: 44 Women Who Are Changing Politics … And The World. The book shares the stories of 44 women in leadership from both sides of the U.S. political spectrum, and around the world, to learn about their paths to power, their achievements and missteps and their lasting legacies.
Donohue also hosts a weekly Spanish-language radio show, Crónica, which examines psychoactive substances in times of prohibition.
The journalist started working as a union organizer in her teen years and began her journalism career in her 20s at the San Francisco Bay Guardian alternative weekly newspaper, eventually becoming its culture editor. She’s since contributed to a number of publications, including High Times, Remezcla, Rookie, Advocate, Marie Claire and FACT.
