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Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth about the World's Most Popular Weed
The leading clinical expert on marijuana sifts through the myths about the drug to deliver an unbiased, comprehensive guide backed by scientific facts to give you the information you need to make informed decisions about marijuana.Marijuana--or weed, pot, grass, MJ, Mary Jane, reefer, cannabis, or hemp among dozens of other names--has a long, colorful history dating back more than 2,000 years as the one of the most sought-after mood-altering substances in the world. Societal opinion about the drug has dramatically swayed over the years, from viewing it as a grave danger to society in the 1930s film Reefer Madness, to a harmless recreational high in the ’60s, to an addictive substance and gateway to such “hard” drugs as heroin today. The myths and misinformation about marijuana have only multiplied over the years as the controversy over legalization and medical marijuana grows. A nationally recognized clinical expert and leading researcher on marijuana, Kevin P. Hill provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the drug in The Unbiased Truth about the World’s Most Popular Weed. Through research-based historical, scientific, and medical information, Hill will help you sort through what you hear on the streets and in the media and cut straight to the facts. Whether you’re a parent concerned about your child’s use, someone with an illness considering medical marijuana as a treatment option, a user who has questions about its effect on your health, or if you’re just trying to make up your mind about legalization, this book will give you the most current and unbiased information you need to make informed decisions about marijuana.
- GenresNonfictionScience
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2015
47 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 9, 2018
This is a very informative book by a marijuana addiction doctor. The first part is the science and facts about marijuana, the second part is about the debate about legalization in America, and the third part is overcoming addiction for yourself or loved ones. This third part didn’t apply to me, so I skimmed that part more. I’m not a fan of biology, but I am interested in physiology and pharmacology. I also wanted to get more information about legalization policies. Here are some key points I found interesting:
● Marijuana is addictive, though less addictive than other substances. (I didn’t know it was considered a nonaddictive drug.)
● Far more people are addicted to marijuana than opioids. In fact, the vast majority of prescription opioid users (like myself) are using them responsibly. To say we have an “opioid epidemic” is an exaggeration.
Considering the substantial number of people who use marijuana and become addicted, it is puzzling that we hear more about the potential dangers of opioid use than the risk of addiction to marijuana. This is especially true when we consider that the number of Americans affected by marijuana is so much greater than the number affected by opioids, including heroin. The same holds true for methamphetamine and other illicit drug use.
● Marijuana use in teens causes a permanent drop in IQ. (I have a friend who saw this firsthand with her students. She teaches high-risk, criminal teens.)
● Marijuana today is far more potent than that used in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Baby boomers and middle-aged adults who used in then may think it’s not a big deal and not realize that it’s different now.
In those decades, the average THC content was about 1-2 percent. The latest average THC content established in the United States is 13 percent. … Also, keep in mind that marijuana with a THC content in the range of 27 percent can be purchased.
● “Medical marijuana” is not the same as cannabinoid drugs. There are already FDA-approved cannabinoid drugs available in every state. Medical marijuana means using a medical excuse to use ordinary THC-rich marijuana, which has not showed promising uses for medical conditions. It’s also usually smoked, which is never healthy for you.
According to a 2011 story in the Huffington Post, by 2011 Denver had more medical marijuana dispensaries than it had Starbucks coffee shops. It seems very unlikely that there is a greater medical need for marijuana in Denver than the recreational consumption of coffee products.
As a fan of personal liberty, I lean in favor of decriminalization and legalization. However, implementing sound policies that prevent abuse and misuse by children is still a tricky process. There’s still a lot to learn, and it seems like a good idea to observe Colorado and Washington for a while and learn from them before doing the same in other states.
Overall, a good, informative book if you are interested in the subject.
Book Blog
● Marijuana is addictive, though less addictive than other substances. (I didn’t know it was considered a nonaddictive drug.)
● Far more people are addicted to marijuana than opioids. In fact, the vast majority of prescription opioid users (like myself) are using them responsibly. To say we have an “opioid epidemic” is an exaggeration.
Considering the substantial number of people who use marijuana and become addicted, it is puzzling that we hear more about the potential dangers of opioid use than the risk of addiction to marijuana. This is especially true when we consider that the number of Americans affected by marijuana is so much greater than the number affected by opioids, including heroin. The same holds true for methamphetamine and other illicit drug use.
● Marijuana use in teens causes a permanent drop in IQ. (I have a friend who saw this firsthand with her students. She teaches high-risk, criminal teens.)
● Marijuana today is far more potent than that used in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Baby boomers and middle-aged adults who used in then may think it’s not a big deal and not realize that it’s different now.
In those decades, the average THC content was about 1-2 percent. The latest average THC content established in the United States is 13 percent. … Also, keep in mind that marijuana with a THC content in the range of 27 percent can be purchased.
● “Medical marijuana” is not the same as cannabinoid drugs. There are already FDA-approved cannabinoid drugs available in every state. Medical marijuana means using a medical excuse to use ordinary THC-rich marijuana, which has not showed promising uses for medical conditions. It’s also usually smoked, which is never healthy for you.
According to a 2011 story in the Huffington Post, by 2011 Denver had more medical marijuana dispensaries than it had Starbucks coffee shops. It seems very unlikely that there is a greater medical need for marijuana in Denver than the recreational consumption of coffee products.
As a fan of personal liberty, I lean in favor of decriminalization and legalization. However, implementing sound policies that prevent abuse and misuse by children is still a tricky process. There’s still a lot to learn, and it seems like a good idea to observe Colorado and Washington for a while and learn from them before doing the same in other states.
Overall, a good, informative book if you are interested in the subject.
Book Blog
June 30, 2015
As a fence sitter on the topic of marijuana who often reads the pro list and thinks, "okay, but..." and then reads the cons list and think, "okay, but..." this was the refreshing nuanced look I have been searching for. It also validates a lot of what I have observed while working with substance use.
Evidence based interventions forms the bedrock of this book. Dr. Hill discusses how for most people, occasional use of marijuana is not harmful. However, about 9% of the population becomes addicted to it, and this percentage is higher (17%) if marijuana use starts as a teenager. Discussing the evidence showing that using marijuana as a teenager adversely affects a developing brain (the author suggests an age limit of 25, when the brain stops maturing) more than an adult one, he brings up concerns about how marijuana use has been increasing among teenagers while the use of every other drug has plummeted.
He describes what marijuana addiction looks like, including how it impacts the family, and discusses interventions from traditional talk therapy to medication. He wades into the legalization debate, advocating for decriminalization based on evidence while pointing out some of the flaws about the ways that decriminalization has currently been handled. And while he advocates for the use of medications derived from marijuana, he points out the dangers of prescribing a drug as a treatment when there have not been controlled studies into it's efficacy and safety.
Warning against the dangers of hyperbole on either side, this book takes a middle of the road approach and has helped me clarify my opinions on this complex issue and given me some direction on how to address issues around marijuana use with my clients.
Evidence based interventions forms the bedrock of this book. Dr. Hill discusses how for most people, occasional use of marijuana is not harmful. However, about 9% of the population becomes addicted to it, and this percentage is higher (17%) if marijuana use starts as a teenager. Discussing the evidence showing that using marijuana as a teenager adversely affects a developing brain (the author suggests an age limit of 25, when the brain stops maturing) more than an adult one, he brings up concerns about how marijuana use has been increasing among teenagers while the use of every other drug has plummeted.
He describes what marijuana addiction looks like, including how it impacts the family, and discusses interventions from traditional talk therapy to medication. He wades into the legalization debate, advocating for decriminalization based on evidence while pointing out some of the flaws about the ways that decriminalization has currently been handled. And while he advocates for the use of medications derived from marijuana, he points out the dangers of prescribing a drug as a treatment when there have not been controlled studies into it's efficacy and safety.
Warning against the dangers of hyperbole on either side, this book takes a middle of the road approach and has helped me clarify my opinions on this complex issue and given me some direction on how to address issues around marijuana use with my clients.
June 14, 2020
Written by a professor of psychiatry at Harvard, Hill argues that even though marijuana is less addictive than many substances, it is still addictive. His goal is to cut through the propaganda, half-truths, and falsities from both sides of the cannabis debate and present what the science tells us so that good policy decisions can be made.
August 24, 2015
Was easy to read, full of amazing facts and I believe that the information was honest. This was not a dare lesson and it was not a cannabis cup biography, but it was definitely in between that somewhere.
It was an expose of marijuana culture from a doctors perspective is what this really was. And it did not address any interest I had and did not inspire me at all. I was reading this, hoping it was full of history, insight and life, but really this is ammunition for both sides of a political/ parenting war.
Questions I have that it did answer were:
What are the reasons people need to have marijuana medically prescribed?
What is the science behind perma-high and regular high?
what is the connection between weed and mental hurdles like stress?
Questions I still have are infinite!
Is this, as I suspect, a battle between valuing emotional intelligence and IQ higher?
Why is football or wwe allowed but not drug use?
How are we letting artists promote marijuana as an emotional stimulant rather then accepting that emotions are healthy and improving our culture deeply?
It was an expose of marijuana culture from a doctors perspective is what this really was. And it did not address any interest I had and did not inspire me at all. I was reading this, hoping it was full of history, insight and life, but really this is ammunition for both sides of a political/ parenting war.
Questions I have that it did answer were:
What are the reasons people need to have marijuana medically prescribed?
What is the science behind perma-high and regular high?
what is the connection between weed and mental hurdles like stress?
Questions I still have are infinite!
Is this, as I suspect, a battle between valuing emotional intelligence and IQ higher?
Why is football or wwe allowed but not drug use?
How are we letting artists promote marijuana as an emotional stimulant rather then accepting that emotions are healthy and improving our culture deeply?
March 2, 2018
The author is a psychiatrist who specializes addictions. Considering the book is subtitled "the unbiased truth...", his perspective is primarily focused on addiction issues related to this drug. He discusses the history of society's use of marijuana and provides context to the controversy associated with the legalization of the drug.
He briefly discusses the pros and cons of marijuana for medical use, however provides very little factual information specific to the ongoing research of using marijuana for medical purposes.
He briefly discusses the pros and cons of marijuana for medical use, however provides very little factual information specific to the ongoing research of using marijuana for medical purposes.
July 4, 2022
As a licensed drug and alcohol counselor I was looking for a clinical review of Marijuana. This book is factual, unbiased and full of essential information for people in my field. The director of psychiatry at a hospital I worked at recommended the book. It was informative and no nonsense.
July 1, 2018
It’s actually quite difficult to find out objective facts about cannabis. When I googled it, most results were mere propaganda from either side in the debate.
I friend I knew lent me this book, and I was relieved to be presented with clinical facts and statistics. I was surprised that about 9% of people who use marijuana will become addicted, and for the group of people who begin using marijuana as teenagers, this statistic rises to 17%. One of the struggles for the addict is the popular myth that there is no such thing as marijuana addiction, and there is often relief when an addict finds out it's an actual condition, and not a failure or aberration in themselves, compared to their more comfortable friends.
This book is well worth reading. I wish more people who are involved in legislation and legal decisions concerning marijuana would read it, or pay attention to the experts and the facts, as opposed to public opinion and innuendo.
I friend I knew lent me this book, and I was relieved to be presented with clinical facts and statistics. I was surprised that about 9% of people who use marijuana will become addicted, and for the group of people who begin using marijuana as teenagers, this statistic rises to 17%. One of the struggles for the addict is the popular myth that there is no such thing as marijuana addiction, and there is often relief when an addict finds out it's an actual condition, and not a failure or aberration in themselves, compared to their more comfortable friends.
This book is well worth reading. I wish more people who are involved in legislation and legal decisions concerning marijuana would read it, or pay attention to the experts and the facts, as opposed to public opinion and innuendo.
November 22, 2017
Balanced account of the few proven medical benefits and many harms of using marijuana. Dr. Hill convincingly addresses three myths: marijuana isn't harmful, addictive, and users who quit don't experience withdrawals. The scientific case against it is strong.
April 30, 2022
This was very informative! I would recommend this to anyone that has preteens or teens!
March 2, 2025
Very informative
June 15, 2016
With the impending legalization of recreational marijuana looming in Canada, I wanted to have a more well rounded understanding of the subject. The book is current (2015), easy to read, and well balanced. The author references several peer reviewed articles and does a good job f explaining the various arguments (and evidence) for and against marijuana use.
I appreciated that he was able to speak honestly on both sides of every issue. For example, he explores the myth that marijuana is not addictive without unfairly demonizing the drug. He does this by explaining that roughly 9% of regular users become addicted, according to DSM-5 classification. This means that it is much less addictive than both heavier drugs and legalized substances (eg. Alcohol and tobacco). However, it is also used by a much larger segment of the population.
The book covers a broad range of issues including politics, pro's and con's for legalization and/or decriminalization, history of use and understanding and medical use. The medical use section was very interesting as he explained "how" the drug works and advances in isolating the active properties and creating pill forms to allow for more accurate and safe dosage (currently their are two FDA approved weed pills). He also explained recent research about the effectiveness of the CBD (the other medical component that I had never heard of) on seizure disorders.
This was a really informative read in a world that seems full of misinformation about this controversial plant.
I appreciated that he was able to speak honestly on both sides of every issue. For example, he explores the myth that marijuana is not addictive without unfairly demonizing the drug. He does this by explaining that roughly 9% of regular users become addicted, according to DSM-5 classification. This means that it is much less addictive than both heavier drugs and legalized substances (eg. Alcohol and tobacco). However, it is also used by a much larger segment of the population.
The book covers a broad range of issues including politics, pro's and con's for legalization and/or decriminalization, history of use and understanding and medical use. The medical use section was very interesting as he explained "how" the drug works and advances in isolating the active properties and creating pill forms to allow for more accurate and safe dosage (currently their are two FDA approved weed pills). He also explained recent research about the effectiveness of the CBD (the other medical component that I had never heard of) on seizure disorders.
This was a really informative read in a world that seems full of misinformation about this controversial plant.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews