A witty, engaging, in-depth, and evidence-based look at how cannabis affects our brains.
Pot, marijuana, cannabis, weed, ganja, hash, grass: whatever you call it, cannabis can profoundly affect the human body and brain. In The Science of Weed, renowned psychiatric researcher, physician, and Yale neuroscience professor Godfrey Pearlson offers a deep dive into the facts of cannabis, covering everything from its botany and chemistry to its impacts on psychology and human behavior. Taking a neutral approach to the subject in an easily comprehensible style, Pearlson emphasizes evidence-based research to separate the truth from the hype about this complicated plant.
Pearlson examines key issues, including the origins of the plant and its interactions with humans throughout history, plus its medicinal applications. He also explores its chemical structure and composition, as well as the internal cannabinoid system of the human body, its major functions, and the mechanisms behind how this system produces a subjective high. Moving beyond its impacts on the human brain and body, Pearlson shares the plant's collective impact on economics and the health care system, with a focus on how scientific scrutiny can bring enlightened reason to the contentious debates surrounding the drug.
This fascinating survey of what we know from a scientific point of view about cannabis can help guide public policy on legalization and help readers make their own decisions about using it. This book is for anyone who wants to understand how cannabis impacts our brains and bodies to objectively weigh its risks and benefits.
By:
Godfrey Pearlson
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 235mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 45mm
ISBN: 9781421449951
ISBN 10: 1421449951
Pages: 544
Publication Date: 31 December 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Foreword Joe Dolce Introduction Chapter 1. Good Science and Bad Science Chapter 2. Holi Chapter 3. Ethnobotany, Botany, and Archaeology Chapter 4. Neuroscience Chapter 5. Psychology + Human Behavior Chapter 6. Epidemiology Chapter 7. Toxicology Chapter 8. Chemistry, Chemical Analysis, and Extraction: Terpenes to Tinctures Chapter 9. Medical Marijuana and Clinical Trials Chapter 10. Economics Chapter 11. A Scientific Approach to Cannabis Legalization Acknowledgments References Index
Godfrey Pearlson is a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Yale University and directs a brain research center at the Institute of Living in Connecticut.
