The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual

This book probably has more information about the overall benefits of weed than any other book out there. A great deal of it is supported by research, and she gives some references at the end, but there is also a strong mystical, sort of touchy-feely aspect to it as well. The author makes a lot of statements about higher consciousness and accessing your inner vulnerabilities that seem like they would be hard to prove rigorously. You can only talk to people to ask how they feel, and that sort of information is often hard to interpret. In her view, people who don't like weed only have that feeling because they don't want to face who they really are. Is that true? I have never tried weed, and it's not enough to read this book to be convinced one way or the other. What this book does convince me is that it would be worth trying, in a state where it is legal, of course.The upside is that there is a great deal of more scientific information about how it treats a multitude of illnesses, and this is extremely useful. Her overall view is that even healthy people should really use weed on a regular, or even daily basis. She is passionate about this subject if nothing else. But I have a problem with this view in that it leaves out a very clear downside which I have seen personally in a few of my friends - weed, especially in excess, can take away your edge, that little bit of angst and aggression you need to get a lot of work done or fight a battle. The effect goes away when you give it up, but it's something to keep in mind, and probably one of the reasons it's still illegal in most places and why the Feds hate it. Would we be able to send a volunteer army to Iraq if all the 18 year olds were smoking weed? I wonder.But overall, marijuana is something that humans really need, and the case studies at the end really bear that out. Prohibition is one of our government's worst ongoing policies, and this book provides more arguments why that is true. Worth reading.

The only reason for giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that it is not well referenced. It has a good and extensive bibliography but no footnotes or specific page references. For that reason I would suggest, for those new to exploring all the benefits of MJ, to start with the book "Marijuana Gateway to Health: How Cannabis Protects Us from Cancer and Alzheimer's Disease", also available through Amazon. This one is a real eye opener and is extensively footnoted. It contains detailed accounts of multiple scientific studies, all with specific references that you can check out. (And its scope is NOT limited to the diseases in the title) That said, Joan Bello's book, while not well referenced, contains much of the same information but also further discusses the more holistic aspects of the drug, why it is healing on all levels, including the spiritual, as specified in the title. This is ground that other writers fear to tread for fear of losing their scientific credibility, so is valuable for that reason. She also explains how MJ is the only substance that actually has a balancing effect on the autonomic nervous system, acting as either/ both stimulant and sedative, helping to mediate extreme swings in either direction. This was new information to me that I don't remember reading in any other book on the subject. Overall it is a totally excellent book. I would recommend it highly to anyone who has already done some reading on the scientific studies and is open to information about the psychological and spiritual benefits as well. I just don't understand, since this book was first copyrighted in 1996 and has been updated and revised several times since then, why she did not choose to at some point add some footnoting and specific references. From my other reading I can say that all her information seems in line with that of others who do reference their books. And there is enough new info and new and broader perspective in this book to make it very much worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading _The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual_ and learned quite a bit about Marijuana and how to describe some of my feelings in better detail. I recommend anyone thinking about marijuana or wanting to talk more about the benefits of marijuana to pick up and read this work.However, the work oscillates from technical discussion of cannabinoids, with extracts from papers to later extracts from historical works on cannabis where it is recommended as a poultice for piles and hashish is recommended for gonorrhea with equal weight given to each extract. Many section read as such, were the reader has to defer the quality of the source. Should one lend equal weight to the 1975 "Marijuana Alert, ULCA Project" from the radio station KNBC, a 1996 Article in _High Times_, or a 2005 _Journal of Neuroscience_? All are listed in the Bibliography, but some quotes are not annotated, so you are left to guess. The quote from Aldus Huxley's fictional work _Island_ in Chapter 5 is set in the middle of a paragraph on Holistic Health as a counterpoint to Western Medicine. I really hope we are not setting Aldus Huxley as our western authority on medication!While I tend to agree with most of the Author's points, again we oscillate from well quoted and researched points (i.e the early section on the ANS in Chapter 1) we end up in the land of conjecture, hearsay and "good ideas" towards the end of the book in Chapter 8 The Psychotherapeutic Effects of Marijuana Therapy.Again, this is a positive review, I learned a lot, highlighted and underlined a lot and am passing it on, but I think _The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual_ could use a good editor and another revision to round it out as a collection of the best marijuana facts, theories and Patient Testimonials.

Bought this book as a secret santa gift for my dear mother, who called me a 'junkie' (ffs) cos of my love for the Holy Herb. It was apparent she had, like many, been miseducated and was due to receive some insights and this book truly gave her an education. She read it within a week and then made a request. Lol. Highly (pun intended) recommended read!

Highly recommended to anyone on a spiritual journey, seeking a cure, or simply wanting to know more about Cannabis.

very informative, interesting book.