Cannabis Pharmacy

September 15, 2014

Backes, a consultant for a Southern California-based cannabis and policy group, has pulled together his research into an accessible personal reference text on medical marijuana/cannabis. He sifts out American pop culture marijuana "facts"--knowledge stemming from movie and television representations of marijuana use and users. In its place, he gives readers evidence-based information. We learn about the difficulties of dosing and of finding a consistent product and how the drug's effectiveness as a treatment alters depending on how it is prepared. Backes also discusses how marijuana and its components, cannabis and THC, are not miracle cures but that they can improve quality of life. The author provides a lengthy list of diseases and disorders in which medicinal use of marijuana may relieve the most distressing symptoms. The content is occasionally peppered with biochemistry but is otherwise suitable for all readers. With a foreword by Andrew Weil, this book will catch the eye of Prevention readers and those who are interested in integrative medicine as well as complementary and alternative therapies. VERDICT Suitable as an at-home reader for patients (and their families) considering medicinal marijuana as a treatment option.--Rachel M. Minkin, Michigan State Univ. Libs., Lansing

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September 1, 2014
Scientific research meets practical information in this wide-ranging examination of cannabis as a complex medicine. Cannabis science and policy expert Backes begins with a brief history, separating myth from pharmacological fact as he explains the chemistry of marijuana's active ingredients and how plant-produced cannabinoids work with the body's endocannabinoid systems. He offers a co-evolution hypothesis to elucidate how people have selectively bred marijuana varieties that safely interact with these brain-stem processes. Backes discusses dosage, storage, and adverse reactions, including the newly described cannaboid hyperemesis, which causes vomiting and abdominal pain. Most practical for nonscientists are the details on more than two dozen popular cannabis varieties and their efficacy in treating various medical conditionsSensi Star, for example, relieves gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's diseaseand the alphabetized list of maladies matched with effective pot varieties and usage information. A well-designed and -illustrated and easy-to-use resource about an increasingly mainstream medicine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)