Our Five Favorite Books About Cannabis
Reading isn’t an activity many cannabis enthusiasts talk about when discussing their favorite infused pastimes, and we hope to change that with these recommendations of some of our favorite page-turners. Written by Lucas Indrikovs
Reading isn’t an activity many cannabis enthusiasts talk about when discussing their favorite infused pastimes, and we hope to change that with recommendations of some of our favorite page-turners. No matter what else you’re into, we can safely assume you enjoy and consume cannabis. I mean, why else would you be here?!
With that assumption firmly established, we think you might be interested in learning more about cannabis through history, sociology, music, cooking, and storytelling. If any of these topics perk your interest, spark up a joint, prep a dab, load your vape or pack a bowl and find your coziest reading chair.
Because like a butterfly in the sky, you will get twice as high when you take a look within these books.
Stoned Beyond Belief by Action Bronson
Action Bronson, aka Bam Bam Baklava, is a modern Renaissance man. He’s a rapper, chef, entrepreneur, painter, and writer. He’s known for his esoteric lyrical content referencing everything from professional wrestling to shark fin soup to cars and girls and especially cannabis. Weed has always been present in Action Bronson’s work, and it has been a throughline throughout his career.
His book, “Stoned Beyond Belief” takes the reader on a heady journey through the mind of Action Bronson. The book is an homage and love letter to the cannabis plant. He opines over his love for West Coast cannabis and his penchant for solo smoking sessions.
He shares some of his favorite couch-locked recipes to make when your eyes are redder than a ripe cherry, like Jamaican beef patties, fried ravioli, spinach pie, and milk bun ice cream sandwiches. He describes the perfect blunt, shares some of his most ridiculous “highdeas,” and even has games you can play in the book like random trivia and a weed-inspired version of “I Spy.”
Grab a copy of this book, a couple of nugs of Blue Dream (known for its creative and euphoric effects), and go on an adventure through the mind of one of hip-hop’s most unique and outspoken cannabis advocates.
Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser
This book is for all the woke, political, or socially-conscious weed lovers. Some of you may remember the movie “Reefer Madness,” which sparked a new era of anti-cannabis propaganda and convinced an entire generation that cannabis would lead to the fall of civilized society.
We’ve come a long way since that film was released in 1936, but it was a long, hard road for many cannabis advocates to overcome the stigma created in the early-mid 20th century. Eric Schlosser, author of “Reefer Madness,” dives into the shadowy world of underground dealings and makes connections between cannabis, pornography, and illegal immigrants. Schlosser details how those marginalized subcultures contributed to a thriving black market in the United States and what we can do now to flip the script on cannabis stigma.
Through Schlosser’s fearless reporting on the rich history of underground markets and the arguments he presents to the reader, any cannabis enthusiast that wants to learn the history we’ve lived through (and may have already forgotten) will feel empowered after reading this book.
This material can be intense and overwhelming at times, so we recommend consuming a strain like Mimosa while you flip through the pages. A fresh bowl of Mimosa will keep you focused, help you analyze the rich text, and motivate you to push for change.
Brave New Weed by Joe Dolce
Author Joe Dolce didn’t partake in cannabis frivolities for a long time in his adult life. His career, his marriage, and the potency of modern cannabis strains kept him away from indulging in the heady flowers that we all love today. It wasn’t until one fateful trip, visiting his cousin’s basement grow operation, that he was exposed to the current world of cannabis and the intense passion that cannabis enthusiasts expressed towards the plant.
With exposure to a new era of cannabis consumption and the idea that “regular” people love the plant, not just hippies that your parents warned you to steer clear of, Joe decided to take a deeper dive to understand the clouded past and bright future of cannabis in “Brave New Weed.”
As you’re reading, you follow Joe’s journey to cannabis enlightenment through his conversations with growers, doctors, dispensary owners, hospitals, and homemade hash makers. Take a trip through the current state of cannabis through the clear-eyed perspective of a new user and a reborn advocate.
To supplement your journey through the brave new world of weed, a strain like Biscotti (one of our favorites) will add relaxation and giggles to the enlightening trip’s itinerary.
Bong Appetit
Humans have been incorporating cannabis in their food and drink for centuries, using everything from hemp seeds to cannabis leaves and the actual flower itself (read “Cannabis, A History” for more information). While brands like Kiva, Wonderbrett, Kaneh Co, Kalya, Dr. May, and so many others are continuing the tradition of cannabis-infused edibles, many of us are realizing that we can start cooking with cannabis in our own homes. But where to start?
Cannabis cookbooks have been on store shelves for some time now, but many of them aren’t practical for everyday cooking. Even worse, many of the recipes simply aren’t appetizing. Thankfully, the folks at Vice (MUNCHIES, to be exact) saw this gap and filled it with their beautiful imagery, their evident passion for the plant, and recipes that would make Gordon Ramsay angrily soar like a kite.
Learn how to make weed-infused oils, butter, coconut milk, tinctures, and honey. Then blend those infusions into some canna cocktails like a non-alcoholic manhattan and the fan-favorite margarita. Whether you’re into coconut crab gratin or creamy cilantro kale salad, Korean fried chicken or braised short ribs, honey rosemary ice cream, or cannabis kimchi, this book is a must-read for any cannabis foodie.
Since you’ll want to make every single recipe in this book, we won’t recommend any edibles to take with you along your journey. Save the calories and partake in a bowl, dab, or joint of fat-free Apple Fritter. The fruity, earthy flavors will pleasantly combine with any food on your plate, and the Myrcene-dominant buds will elevate your appetite to the stuff of legends.
Cannabis, A History by Martin Booth
The history of cannabis has been widely speculated upon by historians and cannabis enthusiasts alike for years. There hasn’t been a first-rate resource on the topic until Martin Booth painstakingly compiled an objective, unemotional deep dive into the history, usage, adoption, and subsequent war on cannabis.
“Cannabis, A History” begins with the oldest accounts of cannabis in ancient literature (we’re talking 10,000 BC) and follows history through the Middle Ages, Victorian era, the founding of the United States, prohibition, and the war on drugs.
While Martin’s writing may be dry and missing some narrative storytelling elements that would add some needed flair, this text is essential reading for any cannabis historian who wants to flex on their homies during the next smoke sesh. The sheer magnitude of information around scientists, smugglers, beatniks, hipsters, farmers, and artists that have been involved in cannabis history throughout the ages would make any cannabis user well up with pride that they are carrying the torch and changing the future of cannabis by learning from our past.
Since this book is so dense and educational, you’ll need help focusing and absorbing all the excellent information held within its pages. We recommend strains high in Terpinolene and Pinene (both known for their energizing effects while allowing you to focus on a single task). Jack Herer is one of the most famous strains in cannabis culture and a perfect pairing for an afternoon of heavy cannabis history.
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