The New Prescription-Marijuana As Medicine-Reviewed by M. J. Arcangelini

"Incarceration is the only well-proven health hazard associated with cannabis use." So surmised recently arrived Sonoma County transplants Martin Martinez and Dr. Francis Podrebarac in this concise and thorough examination of issues, ranging from AIDS to Zelotypia and as related to the medical use of marijuana.

Dr. Podrebarac starts things off with a foreword in which he explains how he came to view marijuana as a medicine. Martinez then launches into a brief but wide ranging history of cannabis and its uses throughout history. He manages to trace cannabis use back approximately 10,000 thousand years via the ruins of an ancient village in Taiwan. Eventually, (in the section on AIDS) he leads us right up to the present, referencing the case of US vs. Oakland Cannabis Co-op (in which the US Supreme Court, on 05-14-01, upheld-in a unanimous decisions-the federal law which acknowledges no legitimate use for marijuana, medical or otherwise).

The book is an alphabetical set of short discourses on a wide range of topics related to medical marijuana. There are entries for individual medical conditions for which marijuana may be used as treatment and explanations of the specific benefits obtained. Medical conditions covered include AIDS, glaucoma, neuralgia, premenstrual syndrome, depression, asthma, constipation, anorexia, stroke and head trauma, multiple sclerosis, hiccups, and many more. These explanations often go into firm medical detail on exactly how the various cannabinoids (the active agents in cannabis) interact within the body to produce the desired effect in each condition.

In addition to medical conditions the authors explore associated topics such as addiction-as opposed to psychological dependence, which is also covered, gateway theory, sexual activity, contaminants (such as pesticides), anxiety attacks, paranoia, Marinol, psychoactivity, dry mouth, smoking methods, and the effects of marijuana on one's ability to drive.

Politics has a prominent role throughout the book and the authors have little mercy on the federal government. At every opportunity the highlight the absurdity of listing marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance (along with the likes of heroin) when there is no empirical evidence to support such a designation. Taking things a step further, in the section titled "Replacement of Medications", they discuss various and expensive-and therefore very profitable-commercially produced "dangerous medications"-barbiturates, anti-convulsants, anti-depressants, non-steroid anti-inflammatories, steroids, and sedatives among them-which could be replaced with far fewer side-effects by the "renewable source of unpatentable medicines"-marijuana.

"Why," the authors ask, "has the US government spent vast fortunes in a vain attempt to identify the destructive effects of this innocuous herb?" It is, this book repeatedly points out, the combination of corrupt politics and big money-pharmeceutical corporations eager to protect their financial empire-which have together created the false image of marijuana as a destructive and dangerous drug to justify their attempts to eradicate it.

After reading this book, you may find it difficult ever to think of the "war on drugs" in the same way. However, this is not merely an indignant political polemic. The authors have created a valuable resource intended to be used.

The book is arranged in a way that lends itself easily to reference, rather than cover to cover reading like a miniature encyclopedia focused on a single topic.

In spite of the seriousness of intent and the solid information provided there is a light touch to the writing, which never allows itself to become dry or pedantic.

The well-researched and fully annotated text is augmented with appendices, including a reprint of the executive summary of the 1999 Institute of Medicine Report on Marijuana and Medicine. An extensive and valuable bibliography rounds out the book, providing many leads and sources for further research.

By the way, Zelotypia, according to the medical definition, is a "monomaniacal zeal in the interest of any project or cause". This would appear to be a pretty fair assessment of the author's own dedication to the legalization and promotion of medical marijuana.