Pot, Inc.

April 9, 2012
Campbell’s impressive new book explores pot from all angles, giving voice to both sides on the complex debate, and providing a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on the drug, especially the medical benefits. Campbell (Blood Diamonds) delves into the history of pot’s persecution, beginning with the racial undertones of initial opposition in the 1930s, to Nixon’s War on Drugs and the contemporary federal approach that seems too entrenched to reverse its universal policy of “Just Say No.” Although he supports a nuanced acceptance of marijuana use, Campbell holds the pro-pot advocates up to the journalistic microscope, highlighting the leadership squabbles, scandals, and shady characters within the movement. The narrative proves most engaging when Campbell explores his personal involvement with the drug. After his home state of Colorado amended the state constitution to permit medical marijuana, and with the 2009 memo from the Obama administration that downplays the importance of persecuting medical marijuana charges, Campbell joins the Wild West of marijuana cultivation, as hundreds of dispensaries pop up overnight, including one in his own gym. Not content to observe, Campbell applies for a medical marijuana card, converts his basement office into a grow room, and even sells his pot on Craigslist. The book masterfully blends research with personal anecdote to argue that the problem in this country isn’t marijuana, but how wrongly we perceive it.

May 15, 2012
A journalist turned "ganjapreneur" examines America's schizophrenic attitude toward marijuana. A few years ago, after the Obama administration indicated that it wasn't interested in busting medical marijuana growers around the country, pot enthusiasts in Colorado rejoiced. That joy was short-lived, however, as the authorities later suggested that the era of worry-free toking was greatly exaggerated--even for state-sanctioned dispensaries in that state. Campbell (Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones, 2002, etc.) recounts the ensuing panic and the long history of oppressive U.S. drug policy toward marijuana. Amid the careful research rich in salient statistics and telling case studies, the author presents moving personal histories of people whose only crime was trying to relieve their own chronic pain or help out a sick friend. The author juxtaposes these stories with those of his often-hilarious adventures in at-home marijuana cultivation. His angst is palpable as he spends sleepless nights worrying that the noxious odors exuding from his basement "farmhouse" will finally tip off the neighbors and that the next knock on the door will be a helmeted SWAT team with an arrest warrant. Because of these personal experiences, Campbell is able to provide invaluable insight into what medical marijuana growers in the United States endure each day. The hypocrisy throughout is evident, but, writes the author, Drug Enforcement Agency honchos remain true believers, convinced, despite ample evidence to the contrary, that marijuana is truly the devil's weed. Campbell's tireless digging, both physically and figuratively, provides a treasure-trove of information that can only encourage intelligent debate over the future of marijuana prohibition. Rigorous analysis buoyed by a deep sense of humanity.

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2012

Is legalizing marijuana for medical purposes primarily a cover for increasing access for recreational use, or will legalization chiefly provide medical relief to patients with few other options while also fostering a more open dialog about this controversial substance? Although a number of states now allow marijuana for medical use, it is still illegal under federal law. Citing curiosity as his motive, Campbell (Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History) sought an insider's view into cannabis culture. The author, who lives in Colorado, where medical marijuana is legal under state law, gets approved as a medical user, attends cannabis conventions, studies cannabis horticulture, and interviews advocates and DEA officials to learn more about this way of life. VERDICT With humor (e.g., explaining to his teenage son about the pot growing in their basement and trying to cover the pervasive smell from neighbors) and compassion (e.g., in interviews with patients who have found relief only through marijuana), Campbell provides an absorbing and thought-provoking firsthand look at this hotly debated issue. Recommended.--Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Lib.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2012
In this fascinating book, Campbell (Blood Diamonds, 2002) exhaustively researches the history and use of medical marijuana. To learn how people grow weed, he even cultivates his own crop in the basement of the Fort Collins, Colorado, home he shares with his wife and son. Along the way, he learns that his aunt smoked dope to help with nausea during her cancer treatments. Campbell packs his book with interesting tidbits and humor. Three marijuana-growing counties in California came to be known as the Emerald Triangle. And pot smokers morphed Barack Obama's Yes We Can campaign slogan into Yes We Cannabis. Campbell also devotes significant space to overly harsh penalties for growing and using pot, though he does acknowledge that marijuana is a powerful narcotic that, despite its prevalence and low toxicity, should not be taken lightly, especially by adolescents and developing young adults. In the end, just say no types will find much to hate here, while pro-medical-marijuana types will find much to love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)