Brave New Weed: Adventures into the Uncharted World of Cannabis

by Joe Dolce

The former editor-in-chief of Details and Star adventures into the fascinating "brave new world" of cannabis, tracing its history and possible future as he investigates the social, medical, legal, and cultural ramifications of this surprisingly versatile plant.

Pot. Weed. Grass. Mary Jane. We all think we know what cannabis is and what we use it for. But do we? Our collective understanding of this surprising plant has been muddled by politics and morality; what we think we know isn’t the real story.

A war on cannabis has been waged in the United States since the early years of the twentieth century, yet in the past decade, society has undergone a massive shift in perspective that has allowed us to reconsider our beliefs. In Brave New Weed, Joe Dolce travels the globe to "tear down the cannabis closet" and de-mystify this new frontier, seeking answers to the questions we didn’t know we should ask.

Dolce heads to a host of places, including Amsterdam, Israel, California, and Colorado, where he skillfully unfolds the odd, shocking, and wildly funny history of this complex plant. From the outlandish stories of murder trials where defendants claimed "insanity due to marijuana consumption" to the groundbreaking success stories about the plant’s impressive medicinal benefits, Dolce paints a fresh and much-needed portrait of cannabis, our changing attitudes toward it, and the brave new direction science and cultural acceptance are leading us.

Enlightening, entertaining, and thought-provoking, Brave New Weed is a compelling read that will surprise and educate proponents on both sides of the cannabis debate.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Drugs, History, Health, Research

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE
What the forces of logic and legalization face: a news story on Optimum's News12 Long island fans flames among fearful fools. A rap concert-goer passed out cannabis candies "laced with THC" (also "laced with sugar" which is far more unhealthy) to others who "had to be treated" for the "mind-altering and euphoric" effects of the drug.

No one was injured. But it makes news 750 miles away. These bloody fraudsters are not giving up their fearmongering.

My extensive review is live now at my blog:
http://expendablemudge.blogspot.com/2...

I give the book four stars of five, and a strong recommendation to buy and enjoy while learning things you didn't know that you didn't know.

[M. Sarki · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://rogueliterarysociety.com/f/br...

...Researchers in this small field agree that cannabinoids regulate five basic functions of existence: relaxing, eating, sleeping, forgetting, and protecting our organs…

Last year, after reading a review copy of The Medical Marijuana Guide: Cannabis and Your Health by Patricia C. Frye and Dave Smitherman, I began a personal study of cannabis for personal reasons. Both my wife and I have health issues that conventional medicine has failed to either correct or calm down. Myself, being a recovering alcoholic for over thirty-five years, I was hesitant to engage in the use of cannabis. This was mostly due to false claims that marijuana is a gateway drug and I would eventually be back to drinking again. In my wife’s case, her neurological condition was becoming unbearable for her and nothing was being done by her medical practitioners that brought her any relief. In other words, we were desperate for answers and results.

...all use can be medical...You see the commercials for prescription medicines on TV and at the end they say all this or that can kill you or give you suicidal thoughts, and you realize that cannabis doesn’t do any of this stuff…

By the time we and our full-time camper made it to pot-friendly Colorado this last summer we were ready to engage in the cannabis movement. I visited dispensaries and asked many questions. I purchased a few strains and began experimenting with what worked and what did not. One thing that immediately occurred was this feeling of having hope again that we might get somewhere with this new journey. The cannabis of today is nothing like the pot we smoked many years ago.

...Pot, he concluded, enabled him to stay “open to craziness, to new ideas, to stuff that no one ever thought about before. It kept me open to doing things that everybody else said you shouldn’t do. . . . [It] helped me to accomplish what I set out to do, made me easier to be with and easier on myself. It allows me to be more accepting of, and caring for, other people.”...

We have had the same experience. We get our work done, we engage in artistic adventures, and we both seem more tolerant of others. Perhaps the world would be a safer, healthier, and better place to live if more of us used cannabis.

...In 1988, an American chemist, Dr. Allyn Howlett, located a network of receptors in the brain that respond to THC. The densest concentration of these receptors—the Milky Way, as it were—is in the brain areas that coordinate movement and control emotions, memory, pain, pleasure, and reproduction...Too little dopamine is connected to Parkinson’s disease. Overproduction is related to schizophrenia. Serotonin, which mimics the psilocybin found in magic mushrooms, mitigates depression…Without anandamide we might not ever be able to get over trauma, phobias, neuroses, or chronic pain...cannabinoids are chemicals that enable us to cope with the human condition…some lucky people may be less prone to anxiety because their brains produce higher levels of anandamide. Think about that: resilience to anxiety may have nothing to do with the vague and perhaps mythical qualities we call being “strong” or “tough.” It may have more to do with winning the genetic sweepstakes…

It is still too early to tell how much benefits our individual conditions, but one thing I do know is cannabis has made us think outside the box. It does help us to forget our pains and phobias. Using it feels good and gives us hope.

...In large doses they found that CBD enhances anandamide concentrations in the brain. There are a lot of things anandamide does, all of them essentially positive…the endocannabinoid system is apparently involved in almost all major diseases of the body…Why has the United States spent trillions of dollars trying to annihilate this plant, suppressing all the technology, ingenuity, and science that surrounds it?...

What is ridiculous regarding cannabis is our United States laws against its use or possession. The history regarding this outrageous situation is plainly and interestingly laid out in this book. Again, our lawmakers have failed us and only a few of them have their ears to the ground. But perhaps the groundswell will grow to a deafening levels of noise they cannot ignore.

...By Jewish law you have to fight for life until the end…

I am not Jewish but I am with them on this point. But fighting disease with chemo at this point doesn’t interest me, but treating my ills and my otherwise healthy being with cannabis thrills me to no end.

...even those words “Oh wow, man!” contain a key attribute of cannabis consciousness: an expanded receptivity to the world…Psychedelics and cannabis (dosed properly) enhance our receptivity to other humans, animals, and maybe to something sacred…

I have certainly found this to be true in my own re-experimentation with the holy flower. Cannabis makes me a nicer person. I am not as opinionated, not as sure of myself as when straight, and so I take an extra moment to think about what I am trying to communicate before expressing myself.

...Dr. Andrew Weil wrote in The Natural Mind that altering consciousness was a fundamental urge in human beings, and that we use all sorts of substances to change our minds—caffeine, sugar…

I love changing my mind. I heard for years that it is the woman’s prerogative to change her mind. Now everyone can.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave New Weed has to be the most outstanding book ever written regarding Cannabis. It touches on every aspect of the plant, including the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS) which has been “called “the body's supercomputer” because one of its functions is to keep every other bodily system in check”. I find it disappointing that since Cannabis is a schedule 1 drug American doctors are not taught about the ECS consequently very few know about it thus placing us far behind other countries in the treatment of diseases with a plant that has no harmful side effects. The author goes into great detail about how cannabis has changed such as the increased THC levels in today's Cannabis, the modification of the plant for different types of highs, including the various new ways of using.

The amount of material, including how superbly written this book is stunning. You will never guess what country is dominating in cannabis research and has the world’s largest state-run program. Yes, I am pro-cannabis yet I do not partake, though not because I do not want to. I have many autoimmune diseases and cannabis would be extremely beneficial to me. It would allow me to come off of a lot of the medications that are harmful to my body, consequently due to the cannabis ignorance, most doctors have, it is not an option for me even though I live in a state that medical marijuana is legal. The way my state's system is set up it is very hard to get. Nevertheless, what is stopping Cannabis from becoming completely legal? Well, that is an easy question that the author answers pharmaceutical companies, the liquor manufacturers, including a few others.

I plan on giving this book to my doctors for Christmas hopefully, they will read it and become more educated on cannabis. In addition, I think this book is perfect for everyone to read even people who are against cannabis not to change their mind, but to educate them on what they are against.

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of cannabis moving from drug to medicine, circa 2015. Have you heard of the endocanniboid system? Apparently most doctors haven't either, even though we all have one. For science one must leave the US because of attitudes sponsored by big alcohol and big pharma. The theory here is that after prohibition the result will be similar to alcohol — a focus on regulation and quality.

Since this book was published, the value of CBD products (which interact with the endocanniboid system) has become much more well known.

[Jennifer Giacalone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for a current writing project and it's a great resource for a neophyte who hasn't read much about the medicinal applications of cannabis. It's mercifully free of hippie "woo" and just spends time explaining how the various components of marijuana function and what they do. A nice, colloquial, readable style, it manages to be informative without being dry.

[J.S. Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was EXTREMELY well-researched, easy to follow, entertaining to read & VERY informative. I was surprised as I thought I’d have to sift through a bunch of insider mumbo jumbo talk & trippy scenes. Though there was a section that I didn’t agree with, 98% of this book was about the scientific facts or history surrounding the politics.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

Review link TK

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t smoke but I am familiar with the basics and know people who smoke. My thoughts on marijuana have changed over the years as I have gained knowledge.

This book is for people who:

know people who use and want to know more about if it’s wrong/bad or okay/good.
Are considering using weed for any reason and want to know more.
Already use weed and want to know more
Think they know everything about weed (you don’t.)
This book goes in-depth into the history of weed as well as the history of how it became an illegal drug and thought of as being as dangerous as cocaine or heroine. It’s not just about history though.

Joe Dolce was not a regular user when he started this book. He had used before but not in years. So this is not a book written by a “stoner.” The author did his research to be sure. He travelled the world and interviewed tons of people. He sampled different types of cannabis in different forms and even stopped using it at the end to make sure his mind was fully clear when finalizing his thoughts.

Weed was legalized in my country of Canada since the book was published. We are the second country to legalize weed for recreational and medical use. This of course isn’t covered in the book but he does talk about the US states that have legalized it: California and Colorado.

He debunks myths and answers questions you would never have thought of on your own. Remember I said the book is not just about history? Well it’s a lot of the science too. He explains (or lets others explain) how the endocannabinoid system works in our bodies. Specifically how cannabis works with it to produce healing effects. I’m no good at explaining it but it’s covered well.

The book is part history, part science, part health, part ecology, part legal and part sociology. The author does a good job covering all the aspects. There were a lot of tough words, even for me, so keep a dictionary or google near by.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuanced and entertaining. From the author's joyful appreciation of Carl Segan to his descriptions of international travels, this discussion drew me in.

While at times I question this book, the authors fundamental arguments were valuable. Here, the author discusses the need for vastly improved research, the relationship between regulations and safety, and the link between prohibition with the development of ultra high-thc cannabis.

While imperfect, this book is a much needed addition to a topic desperately needing discussion.

[Erick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As Ted Trimpa, a lobbyist who worked on gay marriage and Colorado's legalization efforts, observed: 'When pot becomes not just the kid with long hair and skateboard or the guy in the beat up van... When it's the investment banker, the doctor... That's when things will change.'

Here's a little secret: It already is the banker and the doctor. They're just not talking about it openly yet."

[Rachel Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a goodreads giveaway.

This book is very well written (a few grammatical errors, but it was an uncorrected proof, so to be expected). Well researched and organized - I learned a lot!

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh and fair survey of cannabis today. I learned a great deal about the plant and the people working with it.

[Izalette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a great deal but also felt there’s some bias towards pro-pot. The author tried to include some arguments from anti drug perspective, then debunk them. While I understand cannabis is still understudied because it is prohibited, it might still be too early to strongly advocate that it is for everyone. Example, know your dosage but you have to find out yourself. Maybe first timer should have a budtender to walk them through the experience. I also don’t agree it takes 30 days to sober up, for heavy users, it took months to really get out of memory interruptus. Overall agree that weed is fun when taking the right amount doing an activity you enjoy, generates creativity, and has many health benefits.

The seeds that moved east into the colder regions of the Himalayas developed into the so-called indica strains, also known as kush strains; the high they produce tends to be more physical than cerebral. Seeds that went west to the Middle East and Africa eventually became known as the sativa varieties.

Who knew drug law was established because of Mormonism. In 1910, the church banned polygamy so the Mormons moved to Mexico but they didn’t like it. When they moved back to their hometown, they brought weeds with them, and that’s when Utah turned a religious prohibition into US’s first drug law in 1915.

Funny that the marijuana tax act had slid behind a bookshelf because so little was written about it. The librarians had to dismantle the bookcase to retrieve it.

Weed contains 700+ compounds, 80 of which are thought to be therapeutic, and all of which combine synergistically to produce both the high and the healing, extracting just one compound in a lab has never proved as effective as the whole plant is.

THC was discovered in 1964

Despite Nancy Reagan “just say no” campaign, she regularly took tranquilizer. as the ferocity of the Drug Wars intensified, so did the potency of pot. drug wars are little more than a $51 billion-a-year jobs program for cops, prison guards, and piss-testing companies. Blacks were 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana.

Emerald triangle in Northern Cali

1976 Netherlands decriminalized marijuana. A grower won permission to grow plants for seeds, a legal loophole, by studying the Opium Act.

how can anyone who has inhaled several strains in an hour distinguish differences in flavor, not to mention the quality, of the highs?

Indoor grows were deemed cleaner and less prone to mold, but pot grown under the sun has a wider spectrum of tastes and effects.

Since weed legalization, States are now debating whether to ban concentrate production or at least limit legal production to cleaner CO2 or cold-water extraction methods. Packaging is now child resistant and tamper proof, with labeling.

Overuse can produce a certain dullness of thought but long-term studies show that there are no differences in brain activity between heavy and light users over time, nor weed causes schizophrenia because likely that people prone to schizophrenia tend to self-medicate.

Israel is the capital of cannabis science. Israelis have always taken a hard line against cannabis, due in some small part to anti-Arab bias (Muslims favor cannabis over alcohol)
Mechoulam or the endocannabinoid system, the largest receptor system in the human body. if an organ is in trouble, the endocannabinoid neurotransmitters act like an early-warning defense system.

THC analogue “anandamide” after the Sanskrit word ananda, for bliss; to radiate a golden, sunny pleasure, intensify sensory experience, stimulate appetite, and temporarily blot out short-term memory.

cannabinoids regulate five basic functions of existence: relaxing, eating, sleeping, forgetting, and protecting our organs. cannabinoid receptors develop extremely slowly in babies, so babies are less reactive to weed.

Holland and Israel are the only countries where insurance covers medical cannabis.

budtender, if properly trained, guides you to products that will deliver the high you desire.

Alzheimer’s disease is correlated with a loss of acetylcholine; parkinsonism is associated with low levels of dopamine; depression is associated with low levels of serotonin; too much weed will lead to endocannabinoid deficiency.

best indicator of whether a strain will bring you up or down is its terpene profile.

Weed will take away dreams, cause memory interruptus, slowdown time, and enhance your sensory and leads to creativity.

[ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been born and raised in Humboldt County, I've had many opportunities for education about and exposure to cannabis.

I think that being in California generally places me in a pretty unique cultural and social bubble, but Humboldt specifically compounds the distance between me and much of the rest of the country. Almost everyone has an opinion about the plant, but here the opinion tends to be much more positive than many, if not most, other places.

Joe Dolce's Brave New Weed takes a look at those varying opinions, and he does so in a very nuanced way. Even without considering the subject material he covers, his strengths as a storyteller, an investigator, and an interviewer are both clear and numerous. This book is incredibly pleasurable to read and there is never a dull moment; everything is engaging and woven together neatly, creating stories within stories that tumble together and are almost all meaningful and powerful.

But his coverage of such a complicated topic is even more impressive to me. I have a decent amount of existing knowledge and experience with cannabis firsthand and through other media (tv shows, documentaries, etc), but this taught me so much more than I'd ever expected.

Dolce draws in such a wide variety of threads that it's hard to not be impressed by how interconnected subjects related to cannabis are with so much else.

For simplicity's sake, I'll list out some of the most interesting or important subjects which Dolce incorporates:
- the history of criminalization in the United States, emphasis on the War on Drugs and the presidencies of Reagan, Nixon, and the first Bush
- government propaganda and funding through popular media (TV networks) and anti-drug organizations
- criminalization and its connections to institutionalized racism and the prison industry (looking at how such a system works in a capitalist society motivated by filling cells and making money)
- the science of cannabinoids and ECS, particularly in regards to medicine and health care (e.g. treatment of pain, cancer, degenerative illnesses, PTSD, trauma)
- Israel's place at the forefront of state-run research and investment (interviews w/ doctors and scientists are particularly interesting)
- the history of cannabis in San Francisco
- Colorado as a model and example of state regulations and economic shifts following legalization
- the impacts post-prohibition will have on regulation, sales, safety, scientific research, culture, etc (perhaps one of the most central points of the book)
- good ol' Big Pharma and the roadblocks built into the ideals of Western medicine, focusing on the strictness of research and studies vs hundreds of years of cultural/historical knowledge and countless patient experiences and testimonies
- many spotlights on and interviews with scientists, activists, businesspeople, people with chronic illnesses and pain
- connections between cannabis use and brain stimulation/experience of the world, drawing especially on the work and writing of Carl Sagan (probably one of the most impressive people of the past century in my eyes)
- and much, much more...

I think that everyone should read this book, honestly. I think there's something here that everyone can learn, not just about cannabis, but about how the world works, how governments make decisions and spend money, and how power and capitalism influence society from misinformation to health care.

[David McNutt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot has happened in the six years since this book came out, but from a scientific perspective, there were some glaring issues.

The good: Works well as a fun primer on cannabis, covering history, legality, medicinal use, rise of the weed industry, etc. I enjoyed the bits about his personal experience, new innovations, and his extensive interviews with those in the industry.

The bad: This is not supposed to be a science book and he points out the lack of research at the time due to the schedule 1 designation of the drug. But the results he does describe/cite seem haphazard and only related to the claims of the people he interviewed. This is particularly the case in his description of the history of domestication/evolutionary origins of cannabis (oversimplified) and medicinal properties (particularly cancer). Additionally, it is hard to track down the actual papers because he often doesn't provide citations. The results he describes are an inadequate (at best) and inaccurate (at worst) representation of the research published before 2016. For example, a meta-analysis published in 2015 shows no effect of cannabis use on the risk of head/neck cancers, while he chose the one study out of 6 that showed a protective effect to include in his book.

The ugly: The Caucasus Mountains are not in Kazakhstan. Making a glaring error so early on (pg 14) doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the rest of the book.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannabis politics has moved so quickly in the past few years that reading this book sitting in a legal state where weed isn't socially a big deal makes it feel a little outdated. I know that much of the U.S. is still resolutely prohibitionist or shifting uncertainly into parital/full legalization, but I'd love a follow up that focuses on the process and effects of legalization with the same tone and focus of this book.

Dolce does a good job exploring cannabis from a novice perspective, particularly illustrating the prevailing narratives being a result of racism, Drug War propaganda, and capitalist-motivated red tape. Great focus on the benefits of cannabis without veering too naively into a panacea mindset. It was informative but also a pretty fun read with his forays into little pockets of cannabis culture and research. I loved the queer history folded into marijuana's story in parts.

After reading a few books on cannabis, I really enjoyed Dolce's voice and perspective, and it only makes me hungrier for more diverse perspectives on drug topics. I want to read a weed book written from a sociological perspective, ideally by a Black author.

[John Staley]

This book argues that informing readers about cannabis's historical, political, anthro, etiquette (headyquette), and modern applications in business, scientific research, and latest and greatest practices can differentiate the reader as a cannabist rather than stoner... or, to say, to distinguish Joe Dolce, the author and magazine editor, from Joe Dolce, the singer of "Shaddup You Face", who is Australian.

Much like the plant itself, the book has highs of excitement from characters and lore and, also, the unforeseen lows of moderation, controversial policy/ politics, and barkin'.

Highlights include: the chapter on the cannabinoid system of the human body, a professional journalist's profiling the budder moonrock makers then noting the ganjaneer's apartment is covered in Mtn. Dews, and the all intents and purposes that rounds out the savvy read.

[Lewissa Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Dolce gives a well-rounded narrative to cannabis, discussing it's evolution from the plant in your neighbors basement to the molecular compounds being studied in labs around the world. I appreciated Joe's historical context and views on how the war on cannabis originated and his take on political motives back to the 1900's. "Now science has refuted the lies, the fog is lifting"
Regardless of the rules and (lack of) regulations, the author puts a spotlight on those who have continued to produce cannabis for patients in need, and emphasizes how the full benefits are yet to be discovered. With cannabis often being a personal journey, I found points to relate to with Joe and appreciated new observations from his own cannabis adventure.

[Robynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it or hate it, recreational weed is now legal in more than a few states. I live in one of those legal states and though I was very unsure about legal recreational marijuana I have found I was wrong in many of my assumptions about it. (That legality has allowed for a LOT more scientific research.)
I find the economics of this new business fascinating too.
The author believes in the benefits of weed but that doesn’t make him blind to the pitfalls of over use. It makes his testimony all the more real and honest.
Whether or not you live in a state that has legalized cannabis or not this book is worth reading!

[Anway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a bow mr Dolce, you've done us all a great service with Brave New Weed.

Not simply because I'm part of the charade, without the basic knowledge of the plant's industry. Nor because I had no idea of the plant's affect on my biology.

But simply because you've now helped us (the community) break the stereotypes that;

1) smokers cannot be legitimate part of working class society, and
2) excessive consumption is all that the movement is about

Thank you again! Much recommended book; almost like a modern day cannabis wikipedia

[Alexander Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by @kotler.steven as the best book on cannabis, and he was right. I smoked for over 13 years and had not in more than seven years, but I have heard a lot about the benefits of cannabis, which might take me out of retirement. The book goes through the legal history, health benefits, and side effects, plus all the forms of consuming marijuana. To me, the most intriguing content is the science of correctly dosing, ways of consuming cannabis the most cleanly, and the ways of consuming it without the psychoactive side effects.

[Debbi Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that needs to be read. The author is honest about his biases, but does an excellent job of digging out the truth about cannabis and the lies we've been fed about it.

The U.S. needs to acknowledge the facts, lies, and half-truths exposed in this book.

I highly recommend that everyone read this.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely appreciate how this book focuses less on being high, and more on the medical and societal benefits that can happen from utilizing cannabis to his fullest extent. I recommend this book to anyone that has reservations about legalizing this plant to be studied further. It definitely is a good introduction into the future of this field.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating - I've known Joe for years when he was the editor of Details and I am a publicist. Nothing prepared me for his mastery of writing; his work is insightful, informative, well-researched, and impossible to put down. I loved the book - I'd say definitive non-fiction on Medicinal Cannabis. Congratulations Joe - superb book!!

[Carl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first part of the book that traces the history of human use of cannabis was quite interesting, but as it got into the current state of culture and changing laws my eyes glazed over—too much opinion and gee whiz and not enough hard fact.

[Chentao · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book, although a bit biased

An interesting book, although a bit biased. I like that fact that there are some science in it but I would expect it to be more subjective. Anyway. This is a very illuminating book.

[Sean Howlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched and a thrill to read, this has to be the best book on cannabis I've read recently. Largely written from the point of view of observer/ethnographer, Joe's canny ability to interweave science and story makes a compelling case for legalisation and medical adoption (not to mention joy).

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts out very promising and then just loses its way half way through the book. The last section of the book where the author looks at the future of weed was more intriguing to me.

[Craig McCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read for both the novice and those with experience in the industry.

[Danny Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but not all that gripping.