Marijuana Politics

What is the big deal about cannabis? This book covers everything from botany to the historical uses and common misconceptions of cannabis, with a focus on the political process of prohibition and legalization of cannabis in the United States.
Why is marijuana-to which few if any deaths can be attributed-generally banned in the United States, while cigarettes and liquor-which unquestionably kill millions-are currently legal? This question can best be explained through an investigation of the historical context of cannabis in our country. This book documents the long history of marijuana use, the turbulent path of the prohibition of cannabis use, the issues regarding present-day legalization, and the modern implications of both medical and recreational cannabis. It provides compelling insight from multiple academic disciplines, including sociology, political science, economics, medicine, and health, and in particular from the history of the American experience with the criminalization of liquor, gambling, prostitution, and cigarettes.
Marijuana Politics: Uncovering the Troublesome History and Social Costs of Criminalization examines the current trend toward the legalization of marijuana in the context of the American experience with particular emphasis on political, social, and constitutional developments in the United States beginning in the 20th century. It compares the trend toward marijuana legalization to Prohibition and U.S. laws regarding the consumption of alcohol and analyzes legal developments in comparable areas such as the regulation of other vices and hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. This book is accessible to both casual readers and academic students and provides a robust understanding of the both historical and modern aspects of the drug itself and legalization, regardless of the reader's individual beliefs on the use of cannabis.

ROBERT M. HARDAWAY is a Professor of Law at the University of Denver College of Law. A frequent contributor to national and major regional newspapers and occasional media commentator, he is also the author of No Price Too High: Victimless Crimes and the Ninth Amendment (Praeger, 2003) and The Electoral College and the Constitution: The Case for Preserving Federalism (Praeger 1994), among other works.

Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Marijuana: Politics, Partisanship, and Demagoguery Chapter 2 The Victimless Crime Family Chapter 3 Lessons from the Prohibition Era Chapter 4 Marijuana as Medicine Kyle Bershok Ames Chapter 5 A Brief History of Cannabis Use and Regulation Kyle Bershok Ames Chapter 6 Global Marijuana Regulation Kyle Bershok Ames Chapter 7 Recent Legalization Developments Taylor Hart-Bowlan and Kyle Bershok Ames Chapter 8 The Conflict between Federal and State Marijuana Law Taylor Hart-Bowlan Chapter 9 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index About the Author and Contributors