receive books to review on the regular—mostly of the "cultivation/cooking with" variety. Rarely do I receive any that can charitably be deemed "prohibitionist" literature for review consideration, as its producers must surely recognize the chance of success of converting me is on par with bringing Westboro Baptist signup sheets to a gay pride parade.
Today, we are looking at a sad waste of tree pulp called "Weed, Inc.: The Truth about THC, the Pot Lobby, and the Commercial Marijuana Industry."
This is...a book. Of that much, I can assure you. But it's poorly laid out, laughable in the quality of its writing, filled with blatant falsehoods, ugly in both appearance and content, and exhibits a Southern form of grandiose hysteria, hand-wringing and gothic dramatic stylings.
The book was written by Ben Cort, a recovering addict (good for him), who spent a decade inside the drug and alcohol addiction treatment field, and is now a consultant to that industry. (Is an industry that profits from treating those with "marijuana addiction" perhaps biased regarding cannabis? Never mind, open mind...) He was part of the "No on 64" campaign in Colorado which opposed legalizing cannabis for Adult Use (again, thinking this cat may have a biased viewpoint, but stay the course), and after 64 passed, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana).
Now we have a problem. Project SAM is the largest anti-cannabis legalization group in the country. Vice did a terrific piece on them, which you should read.
Even though Cort is clearly not a fan of cannabis, he's still "cool with it," yo. His introduction begins with his sharing how, "I am not concerned with casual adult marijuana use." So long as kids don't see you (and if they do, realize that it reduces their perception of risk, making them more likely to use before their brains are developed and causing them much more harm.)
So always hide your weed use from kids, as you always do with your alcohol use? Check.
The book free falls rapidly. He states how "THC has few, if any, medicinal qualities" then begins shouting about the "The Industry" and "The Lobby," so it reads the way Glenn Beck talks.
His facts are wrong. He asks us to consider that 30 percent THC is the norm in Colorado cannabis," except a simple Google search shows that as of 2016, the average potency of Colorado cannabis sold in dispensaries was 17.1 percent. He's taken grainy screenshots and poorly framed black and white pictures of cannabis advertisements, and plastered them throughout. He then writes snarky quotes beneath. It's like a 'zine produced on an honest to God mimeograph. It offended my sense of design, and I don't have one.
He goes on to write that "the DEA in Florida told me that an ounce of wax would be worth over $8,000 there."(One seat on the red eye for Miami, please.)
He doesn't like vaping, edibles or concentrates, and don't get him started on medical use. Don't, because it's spoken by a man with evident contempt for anyone suffering who doesn't share his viewpoint.
Cort is very scared and wants you to be as well, but it's a tired and worn out set of fears using the same discredited and disproven, racist, pro-Big Pharma arguments that Just Say No warriors have been parroting for decades. Plus, the author really seems to have a fair amount of fear in his heart. I felt sorry for him by the end, and hope he finds peace.
The majority of Americans now favor the legalization of cannabis, and 46 states have either medical or recreational cannabis programs in place. Cannabis works; it's of proven benefit to individuals, families and communities. We aren't going back. Don't like cannabis? Don't partake.
