What do you think?
Rate this book
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America
From the nineteenth century to the twenty-first, cannabis legislation in America and racism have been inextricably linked. In this searing nonfiction graphic novel, Box Brown sets his sights on this timely topic.
Mexico, 1519 CE.
During the Spanish conquests Cortés introduced hemp farming as part of his violent colonial campaign. In secret, locals began cultivating the plant for consumption. It eventually made its way to the United States through the immigrant labor force where it was shared with black laborers. It doesn't take long for American lawmakers to decry cannabis as the vice of "inferior races."
Enter an era of propaganda designed to feed a moral panic about the dangers of a plant that had been used by humanity for thousands of years. Cannabis was given a schedule I classification, which it shared with drugs like heroin. This opened the door for a so-called “war on drugs” that disproportionately targeted young black men, leaving hundreds of thousands in prison, many for minor infractions. With its roots in "reefer madness" and misleading studies into the effects of cannabis, America’s complicated and racialized relationship with marijuana continues to this day.
In Cannabis , Box Brown delves deep into this troubling history and offers a rich, entertaining, and thoroughly researched graphic essay on the legacy of cannabis legislation in America.
Mexico, 1519 CE.
During the Spanish conquests Cortés introduced hemp farming as part of his violent colonial campaign. In secret, locals began cultivating the plant for consumption. It eventually made its way to the United States through the immigrant labor force where it was shared with black laborers. It doesn't take long for American lawmakers to decry cannabis as the vice of "inferior races."
Enter an era of propaganda designed to feed a moral panic about the dangers of a plant that had been used by humanity for thousands of years. Cannabis was given a schedule I classification, which it shared with drugs like heroin. This opened the door for a so-called “war on drugs” that disproportionately targeted young black men, leaving hundreds of thousands in prison, many for minor infractions. With its roots in "reefer madness" and misleading studies into the effects of cannabis, America’s complicated and racialized relationship with marijuana continues to this day.
In Cannabis , Box Brown delves deep into this troubling history and offers a rich, entertaining, and thoroughly researched graphic essay on the legacy of cannabis legislation in America.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
May 27, 2019
Cannibis: The Illegalization of Weed in America is by the irrepressibly likeable Box Brown, who makes comics on anything he pleases (which is how I read, just anything at random, basically, so you go, Box!), from Tetris to Andy Kaufmann to marijuana, which he researches pretty deeply and then writes a graphic essay about. Most of the facts and history he shares I basically know, that the US of A in particular has had a long, weird relationship to the drug, which it has for decades demonized as "gateway drug," and as a substance that makes you insane, even violent.
Most of that history of making marijuana in particular illegal has to with the propensity of freedom-loving right-wingers (they love their freedom, not yours) to police people’s personal habits regarding something that research has proven is nothing as close to dangerous as heroin or opiods. And now state by state we see it legalized for at least medical purposes, which is something we knew was viable 100 years ago but never acted on it because we needed to incarcerate (cf. Nixon, tens of thousands of “hippies” and blacks and Mexicans he knew didn’t like him or his policies). And the Reagans? Just say no? Ugh, what a vapid useless policy. But really folks, how can we help tax the production of marijuana so corporate America can make billions from it?
Since I already knew much of this stuff (Reefer Madness, and so on; there are SO many books about pot out there!) it was less fun or interesting than, let’s say, smoking it or baking it in a nice pan of brownies. But l am a person “from the sixties," whom we presume knows a bit about this drug. So if you know nothing about pot history, here’s your informative (and sometimes amusing) book.
Most of that history of making marijuana in particular illegal has to with the propensity of freedom-loving right-wingers (they love their freedom, not yours) to police people’s personal habits regarding something that research has proven is nothing as close to dangerous as heroin or opiods. And now state by state we see it legalized for at least medical purposes, which is something we knew was viable 100 years ago but never acted on it because we needed to incarcerate (cf. Nixon, tens of thousands of “hippies” and blacks and Mexicans he knew didn’t like him or his policies). And the Reagans? Just say no? Ugh, what a vapid useless policy. But really folks, how can we help tax the production of marijuana so corporate America can make billions from it?
Since I already knew much of this stuff (Reefer Madness, and so on; there are SO many books about pot out there!) it was less fun or interesting than, let’s say, smoking it or baking it in a nice pan of brownies. But l am a person “from the sixties," whom we presume knows a bit about this drug. So if you know nothing about pot history, here’s your informative (and sometimes amusing) book.
January 22, 2021
Box Brown gives a pretty thorough account of how one of the most unfairly maligned drugs of all time arrived at its current perception in Cannabis: An American History.
Beginning with its ties to Hinduism, Brown explores the many ways that the drug was used in the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries (ie. quack cures) before a racist politician called Harry J. Anslinger saw how widely used the drug was used amongst minorities and set out to ban it in the name of morality and public health.
Despite numerous tests going back to the 19th century, there’s never been solid evidence that cannabis is harmful. Yeah, some people can be a little panicked on it but that passes once they realise they’re not going to die and never were. Nevertheless, straight up lies (“it’s a gateway drug!”) and anecdotal stories got it in the same classification as cocaine and heroin!
Newspaper magnate and another racist scumbag, William Randolph Hearst, used his newspapers to propagate Anslinger’s lies, sway public opinion, and give the drug the bad reputation it had for years. Interestingly, I’d always heard that Hearst did this as hemp was a cheaper material to print newspapers on than paper and his investments in paper made him demonise and drive out this rival, but this isn’t mentioned in the book so perhaps, like so much else surrounding cannabis, that’s anecdotal too.
Brown’s art is simplistic but I like it and it’s an informative book, though it is also quite dull and not at all gripping to read. It’s like an overlong pamphlet that’s very dry and it was really easy for me to keep putting it down after reading just a few pages. The mark of great nonfiction is that it’ll engage the reader whether or not they have an interest in the subject; with Box Brown’s Cannabis, you’ve gotta be really interested in the subject to find this one riveting!
I totally agree though that cannabis should be legalized for a whole raft of reasons, not least to stop locking up way too many people for using a drug that’s benign and vastly more safe than legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. Racism and corruption led to suffering for untold numbers of people - who knew, eh? Thankfully the attitude has been changing for some time in recent years and hopefully one day soon we’ll see legalization across the board and a better society for it.
Cannabis: An American History wasn’t for me but I would recommend Box Brown’s Andre the Giant instead.
Beginning with its ties to Hinduism, Brown explores the many ways that the drug was used in the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries (ie. quack cures) before a racist politician called Harry J. Anslinger saw how widely used the drug was used amongst minorities and set out to ban it in the name of morality and public health.
Despite numerous tests going back to the 19th century, there’s never been solid evidence that cannabis is harmful. Yeah, some people can be a little panicked on it but that passes once they realise they’re not going to die and never were. Nevertheless, straight up lies (“it’s a gateway drug!”) and anecdotal stories got it in the same classification as cocaine and heroin!
Newspaper magnate and another racist scumbag, William Randolph Hearst, used his newspapers to propagate Anslinger’s lies, sway public opinion, and give the drug the bad reputation it had for years. Interestingly, I’d always heard that Hearst did this as hemp was a cheaper material to print newspapers on than paper and his investments in paper made him demonise and drive out this rival, but this isn’t mentioned in the book so perhaps, like so much else surrounding cannabis, that’s anecdotal too.
Brown’s art is simplistic but I like it and it’s an informative book, though it is also quite dull and not at all gripping to read. It’s like an overlong pamphlet that’s very dry and it was really easy for me to keep putting it down after reading just a few pages. The mark of great nonfiction is that it’ll engage the reader whether or not they have an interest in the subject; with Box Brown’s Cannabis, you’ve gotta be really interested in the subject to find this one riveting!
I totally agree though that cannabis should be legalized for a whole raft of reasons, not least to stop locking up way too many people for using a drug that’s benign and vastly more safe than legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. Racism and corruption led to suffering for untold numbers of people - who knew, eh? Thankfully the attitude has been changing for some time in recent years and hopefully one day soon we’ll see legalization across the board and a better society for it.
Cannabis: An American History wasn’t for me but I would recommend Box Brown’s Andre the Giant instead.
October 6, 2023
Outstanding look at the process by which cannabis became illegal - a timely book that is front and center today as the issue of legalization in the US is hotly debated. What becomes clear after reading this GN is that the government has many different reasons why one substance is legal and another substance is not - and it is not always based on what is best for society.
April 13, 2019
I'll be upfront and admit to being a total square: I've never done illegal drugs, had eight alcoholic drinks over four years in college and decided that was enough of that, and have never felt the need to redeem the pain pill prescriptions given to me after root canals. My family has a history of alcohol abuse, so I went the sugar addiction route instead (which is, of course, not without its own problems).
That said, I support drug legalization because I believe that prohibition acts as more of a multiplier of the pain and suffering related to their use rather than a means of preventing it. It should be a regulated and taxed industry with the revenues used to fund research of its positive and negative effects, substance abuse programs and drug awareness campaigns.
So I went into this book expecting to agree with a lot of it. Brown effectively exposes the lies and rumors and racism that have intertwined with marijuana's demonization.
While the first part is a bit irreverent and fun, reaching back into Hindu mythology, the historical narrative gets bogged down in the 1930s as we spend too long on the federal bureaucrat who criminalized cannabis for his own personal advancement. The back end of the book feels a bit rushed as it summarizes the start of the medical marijuana and legalization movements.
My main criticism is Brown goes overboard in proclaiming how wonderful cannabis is, not acknowledging recent studies that show links to schizophrenia and negative impact on cognitive development in teens or touching on the consequences of driving while under the influence. If you recognize his biases and blindspots, the book is enjoyable and informative.
That said, I support drug legalization because I believe that prohibition acts as more of a multiplier of the pain and suffering related to their use rather than a means of preventing it. It should be a regulated and taxed industry with the revenues used to fund research of its positive and negative effects, substance abuse programs and drug awareness campaigns.
So I went into this book expecting to agree with a lot of it. Brown effectively exposes the lies and rumors and racism that have intertwined with marijuana's demonization.
While the first part is a bit irreverent and fun, reaching back into Hindu mythology, the historical narrative gets bogged down in the 1930s as we spend too long on the federal bureaucrat who criminalized cannabis for his own personal advancement. The back end of the book feels a bit rushed as it summarizes the start of the medical marijuana and legalization movements.
My main criticism is Brown goes overboard in proclaiming how wonderful cannabis is, not acknowledging recent studies that show links to schizophrenia and negative impact on cognitive development in teens or touching on the consequences of driving while under the influence. If you recognize his biases and blindspots, the book is enjoyable and informative.
June 15, 2019
The title of this one pretty much says it all. This is a history in comics form of cannabis and the factors that went into making it illegal in the US. With so many states legalizing it for medical and/or recreational use in recent years, it's a timely subject. And the racial and immigration issues that helped spur the public furor that led to the ban also resonate with current events.
Brown has written a solid, well thought out book here. He does a good job of debunking many of the myths associated with marijauna usage. His art is just the right amount of minimalist.
There's really not a lot to say about this. I found the book to be engaging, informative, and fun. Yes, it comes off as pro-marijuana, but I don't see that that's a bad thing. He makes a convincing case for legalization, but I’ll admit that my sympathies have always been in that direction anyway. Recommended!
Brown has written a solid, well thought out book here. He does a good job of debunking many of the myths associated with marijauna usage. His art is just the right amount of minimalist.
There's really not a lot to say about this. I found the book to be engaging, informative, and fun. Yes, it comes off as pro-marijuana, but I don't see that that's a bad thing. He makes a convincing case for legalization, but I’ll admit that my sympathies have always been in that direction anyway. Recommended!
June 27, 2019
Interesting, entertaining, eye-opening graphic novel exploring the history of cannabis's legal status in the US --and (not surprisingly) how much of the outrage over cannabis was tied to racism and lies.
April 28, 2019
I know Brown through his Retrofit imprint mainly ,although I’ve read his 3 other historical non-fiction graphic novels through First Second.
The art is simple yet effective in a John Porcellino way. We get bogged down a little in Hindu history at the start but generally this is a well researched book as evidenced by the extensive bibliography. Pot is legal in my country and my teenage son argues that it’s safer than booze. I agree with him but...I’ve read articles about not using it until age 25 because of brain development and schizophrenia. I agree with my son about the safety issues vs booze but why pick one or the other ? I’m a sober man. I don’t smoke pot although tried it at university.
What enraged me in this book was Anslinger’s lies, deceptions and outright racism. Brutal systemic racism.
5 stars , although Box could use some objective journalism training as his gushing positive support of cannabis bleeds through the whole book.
The art is simple yet effective in a John Porcellino way. We get bogged down a little in Hindu history at the start but generally this is a well researched book as evidenced by the extensive bibliography. Pot is legal in my country and my teenage son argues that it’s safer than booze. I agree with him but...I’ve read articles about not using it until age 25 because of brain development and schizophrenia. I agree with my son about the safety issues vs booze but why pick one or the other ? I’m a sober man. I don’t smoke pot although tried it at university.
What enraged me in this book was Anslinger’s lies, deceptions and outright racism. Brutal systemic racism.
5 stars , although Box could use some objective journalism training as his gushing positive support of cannabis bleeds through the whole book.
May 28, 2019
Historical graphic novel sweep of hemp/cannabis/marijuana use beginning with the introduction of hemp seeds by Hernan Cortes in 1519 to Mexico. Includes details about religious usage throughout history in India and the fervor of American 'Just-Say-No' folks in the last century in the US.
Much like Anthony Comstock championing obscenities and anti-vice in the same era, cannabis has its own virulent opposition in government employee Harry Anslinger. Anslinger actively pursued cannabis prohibition and and was integral in getting it classified as a Schedule I drug.
Anslinger found support in William Randolph Hearst - who encouraged Anslinger's use of the media to propel the myth of 'reefer madness' through the use of police files detailing savagery caused by cannabis consumption. Anslinger actively targeted Mexicans, blacks and jazz musicians with mass arrests as those responsible for cannabis dens causing the breakdown of American society.
Much like Anthony Comstock championing obscenities and anti-vice in the same era, cannabis has its own virulent opposition in government employee Harry Anslinger. Anslinger actively pursued cannabis prohibition and and was integral in getting it classified as a Schedule I drug.
Anslinger found support in William Randolph Hearst - who encouraged Anslinger's use of the media to propel the myth of 'reefer madness' through the use of police files detailing savagery caused by cannabis consumption. Anslinger actively targeted Mexicans, blacks and jazz musicians with mass arrests as those responsible for cannabis dens causing the breakdown of American society.
April 13, 2019
Well researched, and well written this informative content really explained a lot of things I should have already known. Box browns style is made for nonfiction, and this is probably his most impactful book yet in my eyes.
August 18, 2019
Ok. I knew most of this already, at least in the large brush strokes. I wasn't aware of the enormous influence, if the facts here are correct, of Harry Anslinger. From this book it almost seems like he single-handedly affected drug policy in the USA and UN.
March 8, 2020
What a fun fun informative read. And fun!
August 8, 2019
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America by Box Brown genuinely delivers on its title. I feel like I actually have a pretty decent understanding of the history of the legality of cannabis in the US.
I knew OF a lot of the stuff in this book, but I didn't know a lot ABOUT it. The general basics of a lot of it was very familiar to me (Nixon and Reagan being The Worst, early roots in racism, AIDS activists helping gain access for medical use, etc) but so many specific details were lost on me, especially when it came to details from the first half of the twentieth century. The information is presented in a really crisp way that makes it easy to understand and digest and still manage to be incredibly informative.
Anyone interested in the topic should definitely be giving this a read (although perhaps those with a better understanding of the specific history than I have may find they learn less from this than I do, as it IS an introduction).
I knew OF a lot of the stuff in this book, but I didn't know a lot ABOUT it. The general basics of a lot of it was very familiar to me (Nixon and Reagan being The Worst, early roots in racism, AIDS activists helping gain access for medical use, etc) but so many specific details were lost on me, especially when it came to details from the first half of the twentieth century. The information is presented in a really crisp way that makes it easy to understand and digest and still manage to be incredibly informative.
Anyone interested in the topic should definitely be giving this a read (although perhaps those with a better understanding of the specific history than I have may find they learn less from this than I do, as it IS an introduction).
November 7, 2018
Award-winning graphic novelist Box Brown is back with the real story of how cannabis - weed, marijuana, reefer - went from being a plant used for spiritual purposes to being labeled a gateway drug that caused "reefer madness". How did it happen, you say? Racism. Politics. Propaganda. Scare tactics. The usual song and dance. Box Brown has done his research and, combined with his minimalist artwork, presents a tale that will have you seeing the politics of marijuana (the origin of that name is in here, too, and it's a doozy) in an entirely new light.
The War on Drugs started long before Nancy Reagan went on Diff'rent Strokes and told kids to "just say no", and the fallout has targeted minorities - primarily young black men - and left thousands imprisoned for minor infractions. Studies have purposely included falsified data and allowed Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, to perpetuate his war against narcotics by weaponizing moral outrage and using propaganda to get the plant a schedule 1 classification, putting it on par with heroin.
Ignatz Award winner Box Brown has a gift for nonfiction. While he's primarily done biographical graphic novels thus far, including Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, and the rise of the video game Tetris, Cannabis is a thoroughly researched, fully realized, history of marijuana, from its earliest recorded uses through the present day. It's a good add for your young adult/new adult collections and could be a good selection for a book group, especially with its increasing legality and medicinal usage.
The War on Drugs started long before Nancy Reagan went on Diff'rent Strokes and told kids to "just say no", and the fallout has targeted minorities - primarily young black men - and left thousands imprisoned for minor infractions. Studies have purposely included falsified data and allowed Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, to perpetuate his war against narcotics by weaponizing moral outrage and using propaganda to get the plant a schedule 1 classification, putting it on par with heroin.
Ignatz Award winner Box Brown has a gift for nonfiction. While he's primarily done biographical graphic novels thus far, including Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, and the rise of the video game Tetris, Cannabis is a thoroughly researched, fully realized, history of marijuana, from its earliest recorded uses through the present day. It's a good add for your young adult/new adult collections and could be a good selection for a book group, especially with its increasing legality and medicinal usage.
October 19, 2020
The unchecked prejudice towards a plant shows just how brainless and unquestioning prejudicial attitudes are. And yes there is and always has been a direct connection to racism itself. If you are intelligent and conscientious then you are probably concerned about racism right now, which in North America is a very deep and very serious problem. And if you are capable of critical thinking you might have already asked "Why has Cannabis been called 'marijuanna' for decades by the U.S. government and the Media?" Basically there has always been such a stupid racist prejudice against Mexicans that William Randolph Hearst the father of "Yellow Journalism" thought calling Cannabis by it's Mexican nickname would demonize and vilify the plant. It worked.
This combined with the outright lies that the herb kills brain-cells, and is a gateway drug, or that it has no medicinal value, have kept the prejudice going. And it has fueled the criminal enterprise of America's corrupt prison system in an effort to oppress people of color.
The medicinal and industrial applications for this amazing plant are significant and diverse.
I recommend this wonderful book by Box Brown.
I also recommend "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" by Jack Herer
Can we identify implicit bias in ourselves?
Am I prejudiced towards a medicinal plant?
This combined with the outright lies that the herb kills brain-cells, and is a gateway drug, or that it has no medicinal value, have kept the prejudice going. And it has fueled the criminal enterprise of America's corrupt prison system in an effort to oppress people of color.
The medicinal and industrial applications for this amazing plant are significant and diverse.
I recommend this wonderful book by Box Brown.
I also recommend "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" by Jack Herer
Can we identify implicit bias in ourselves?
Am I prejudiced towards a medicinal plant?
January 3, 2022
I'm pretty jazzed about this graphic novel kick! Hopefully, this year I will finally make it to my reading goal... This was a great recommendation from my weed mom. If you want to be frustrated with the United States and their ability to ban weed through the UN, but also want to learn about some of the cool ancient history surrounding the green stuff, I highly recommend it. This was a great, quick read!
October 14, 2018
Interesting history, but I felt the end was a bit weak.
January 22, 2024
Box Brown hammers home his point in Cannabis: that arguments against the legalization of marijuana are inherently racist. There's really not much else to the narrative. It's a straight shot from "Indian religious gurus smoked the ganja" to "black and brown people smoked weed so white leaders thought it must be bad" to "Reagan's 'Just Say No' campaign put thousands in jail unnecessarily."
It's a quick read, especially with Brown's simple, clear artwork. If you're already in the "legalize weed" camp, you won't be dissuaded. If you're not in that camp, Cannabis probably won't do anything to change your mind, sadly.
It's a quick read, especially with Brown's simple, clear artwork. If you're already in the "legalize weed" camp, you won't be dissuaded. If you're not in that camp, Cannabis probably won't do anything to change your mind, sadly.
September 13, 2021
Enjoyed this history on cannabis
October 27, 2023
Storia di come gli USA, a causa di un mix di ignoranza e razzismo, sono riusciti a convincere il mondo intero a considerare la cannabis una droga pesantissima, praticamente l'anticamera della morte per overdose.
Interessante, specie se comparata alla loro attuale emergenza oppiodi.
Interessante, specie se comparata alla loro attuale emergenza oppiodi.
August 16, 2019
Previous volumes by the author promised (and delivered) an interesting and accessible look at their subjects, but this is a just a diatribe dressed up with cartoons - a black and white world where there is no downside to drug use and anyone who disagrees is racist. That's not a glib line. Literally everyone who doesn't love drugs in the book is portrayed as overtly, unrepentantly racist. So....think about the intellectual power of the people who throw that term around at their opponents and judge accordingly.
August 12, 2019
3.5 stars, but I'll round up. While much of the information was not revelatory, it was interesting and well laid out. The degree to which cannabis was demonized along racist paths, and, to a lesser extent, simply to further the career of a dogmatic man, makes me sad. I wish there had been a little more information about the truth, with research and therapeutic effects, rather than focusing on how much of the propaganda was lies.
July 26, 2019
This nonfiction graphic novel explores the history of cannabis use and its connection to racism, propaganda, and politics. I knew a lot of this from watching the documentary Grass is Greener, but it was informative nonetheless with some new-to-me information, such as the significance of cannabis on religious rituals in India. The overall takeaway, however: racism is as American as apple pie and it's infuriating. 😠
February 8, 2020
Box Brown's thing works well for stories that feel niche. I've read Brown's biographical work on Andre the Giant, and telling of the history of Tetris. Both of those stories were relatively unknown to me.
While I'm certainly no Cannabis History expert, I live in one of the earliest states to legalize recreational weed. In the debate around that process in our state, I've personally heard more about this than about the other topics Brown has covered. It is also a supercharged topic for many, and I've known people intimately familiar with and passionate about both sides of the issue.
Here, Brown's detached, seemingly-facts-only approach didn't quite work for me.
Brown has a pretty clear agenda, which could be fine, but never really came out and stated that agenda in the book.
Things felt a little scattered, a little charged, and ultimately, I was left side-eyeing the whole effort.
I absolutely think there's a place in the world for a graphic novel history of cannabis, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Extra star for the effort and need for content on this topic.
While I'm certainly no Cannabis History expert, I live in one of the earliest states to legalize recreational weed. In the debate around that process in our state, I've personally heard more about this than about the other topics Brown has covered. It is also a supercharged topic for many, and I've known people intimately familiar with and passionate about both sides of the issue.
Here, Brown's detached, seemingly-facts-only approach didn't quite work for me.
Brown has a pretty clear agenda, which could be fine, but never really came out and stated that agenda in the book.
Things felt a little scattered, a little charged, and ultimately, I was left side-eyeing the whole effort.
I absolutely think there's a place in the world for a graphic novel history of cannabis, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Extra star for the effort and need for content on this topic.
May 20, 2019
Good novel covering the origins and history of this plant, then the propaganda and misconceptions that tried to demonize and exaggerate the dangers of this plant.
There's a lot of history of the false claims made against the plant and the efforts to conflate it with demonizing immigrants and fear mongering in society against minorities.
It's a good example of the kind of false claim campaigns that happen for many subjects: there are ulterior motives, urges for power and to keep jobs, to force only a certain type of view, and efforts to sway public opinion through misinformation.
That being said, this book focuses more on the history of the demonization campaign itself (like it says in the title) versus a deep dive of all pros and cons of this plant for medicinal, therapeutic and recreational purposes. When you read all the efforts of how big the misinformation campaigns were, I personally have a lot more respect for all the activists who have successfully changed public perception of the plant.
There's a lot of history of the false claims made against the plant and the efforts to conflate it with demonizing immigrants and fear mongering in society against minorities.
It's a good example of the kind of false claim campaigns that happen for many subjects: there are ulterior motives, urges for power and to keep jobs, to force only a certain type of view, and efforts to sway public opinion through misinformation.
That being said, this book focuses more on the history of the demonization campaign itself (like it says in the title) versus a deep dive of all pros and cons of this plant for medicinal, therapeutic and recreational purposes. When you read all the efforts of how big the misinformation campaigns were, I personally have a lot more respect for all the activists who have successfully changed public perception of the plant.
May 23, 2019
Having never smoked weed, I am probably not the target audience for this book. But, I love most everything Box puts out, so I read it anyway. He delves into why a seemingly innocuous plant ended up getting so much negative attention and causing so many to be heavily penalized for having it (hint: racism). This book is by no means unbiased journalism, but it seems fairly obvious that marijuana has lots of beneficial medicinal qualities and was vilified on false pretenses.
I went to a reading here in NYC, and Box talked about the current trend of legalization in America. You'd think it would be a good thing, but of course crass capitalism is making it more about corporations making money than making sure those in need have affordable access.
To be honest, I didn't enjoy this book as much as Andre The Giant, Tetris or Is This Guy For Real, but he did manage to make a subject I have little interest in interesting by focusing primarily on one government official responsible for demonizing marijuana and the racism behind this demonization.
I went to a reading here in NYC, and Box talked about the current trend of legalization in America. You'd think it would be a good thing, but of course crass capitalism is making it more about corporations making money than making sure those in need have affordable access.
To be honest, I didn't enjoy this book as much as Andre The Giant, Tetris or Is This Guy For Real, but he did manage to make a subject I have little interest in interesting by focusing primarily on one government official responsible for demonizing marijuana and the racism behind this demonization.
June 12, 2019
I figured I should know something about the history of pot in America. (There are so many things in American history I should know.) So, I grabbed this book after hearing it recommended somewhere (though I can't remember where. A podcast, surely). It's a pretty thorough story of the history of cannabis in America, as far as I can tell. Given the history of drug enforcement in America, it's not surprising to see that the history of cannabis in America is pretty wrapped up in the history of race in America.
I don't imagine this book will cause anyone to change sides in the debate over legalization, but it provides a lot of helpful history and context. And, it's told in an easy-to-read graphic novel format, to boot.
I don't imagine this book will cause anyone to change sides in the debate over legalization, but it provides a lot of helpful history and context. And, it's told in an easy-to-read graphic novel format, to boot.
October 16, 2018
I read an ARC from First Second via NetGalley. This graphic novel for teens and adults covers the history and illegalization of weed in the US. Black and white panels and minimal text that’s not overwhelming make it easy to learn about a topic that could be confusing. There is a lot of politics here and the associated race insensitivity, moral panic, war on drugs and associated propaganda aligned with specific political agendas. Have you ever wondered how weed got labeled as a gateway drug, you will learn about that in this book. Overall, very informative but the ending was abrupt. I thought the author could have went deeper into medical marijuana. Also, he did not tackle the current legalization of weed and how some states have legal recreational use and others consider it criminal. Maybe there will be a follow up book... Box Brown writes about topics that interest people in a very readable way.
May 3, 2019
a pretty good overview, though the pacing was a little off....like other reviewers have said, it gets a little bogged down with detail in the 1930s, and then the very end, from the rise of medical marijuana in the 80s to the rise of legalization in the current day, it seems really rushed. i was looking at how many pages were left, thinking "how can he possibly fit the last 30 years into this small amount of space??"
i also found it hard to tell dialogue from captions in a lot of places. and i was expecting it to have more of a focus on the racism of marijuana moral panic. it did mention racism frequently, but it didn't really go in-depth, and it wasn't as much of a focus as i expected, given the synopsis on the back of the book.
if goodreads had half stars i guess i would give this a 3.5. but i bumped it up because i really appreciate that the book exists at all, even if it isn't perfect.
i also found it hard to tell dialogue from captions in a lot of places. and i was expecting it to have more of a focus on the racism of marijuana moral panic. it did mention racism frequently, but it didn't really go in-depth, and it wasn't as much of a focus as i expected, given the synopsis on the back of the book.
if goodreads had half stars i guess i would give this a 3.5. but i bumped it up because i really appreciate that the book exists at all, even if it isn't perfect.
September 28, 2018
Box Brown turns over another piece of history to reveal it's secret history. I think I'd ready pretty much anything Box Brown produces. I loved Andre the Giant and got sucked in to Tetris. I wasn't sure that I'd like or appreciate Cannabis, but I was wrong. Brown's simple line drawing and matter-of-fact writing style make clear muddled history. I think this is a timely book, not just because there are recreational cannabis laws popping up on ballots across the country, but also because we're continually being faced with dissembling politicians trotting out "scientific facts" and "polls" to support whatever legislation they're being paid to support.
March 27, 2019
I received this book from NetGalley. I love graphic histories and this is a well-done one. Box Brown tells the story of the global history of cannabis before leading into the history of prohibition in the United States and around the world.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews