Psychopharmacology

At least one third of Americans have used an illicit drug at least once. Drugs attract considerable attention in science, legislation, and the media. Nevertheless, people develop their attitudes about drugs and drug users based on limited information, government policies are formed without a complete picture of the intoxication experience, and researchers often find themselves divided into camps based on the drug they study most often, limiting their ability to benefit from important work done on other drugs. A thorough and accessible review of the subjective effects of drugs and the dominant theories behind these effects will help inform readers about the experience of intoxication and help researchers learn from studies in other disciplines. This book will provide a clear sense of the theories and techniques behind the investigations of intoxication and how subjective experiences relate to addictive potential, which should help people make educated decisions about drug use, help researchers identify ideal ways to assess a drug's subjective effects, and help clinicians understand their substance-abusing clients better by providing insight into the intoxication that they seek.

Marijuana use continues to attract interest and fuel controversy. Big, green pot leaves have adorned the covers of Time, National Review, and Forbes. Almost 100 million Americans have tried marijuana at least once. Groups such as The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana (NORML) and The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) have tens of thousands of members. Polls suggest that 70-80% of Americans support medicinal marijuana. At least 11 U.S. states have experimented with decriminalization and medical marijuana laws, with new initiatives appearing each year. Meanwhile, other groups such as Partnership for a Drug-Free America and Mothers Against Drugs protest legalization. Clearly, debate about marijuana policy shows no sign of abating. This collection of essays resulted from researchers, policy makers and citizens being asked to avoid oversimplification, to separate empirical findings from their interpretations, and to understand that some things may be neither good nor evil. The result is multiple perspectives from a variety of experts on an important problem with vast implications. The volume presents ethical, religious, economic, psychological and political arguments for cannabis policies that range from prohibition to unrestricted legalization. By presenting a unique perspective on overlapping issues, each chapter demonstrates how even recognized experts draw markedly different conclusions from the same data. Some contributors evaluate policy by weighing the costs and benefits of control while others eschew policy by presenting moral arguments against our attempts at control.

Marijuana is the world's most popular illicit drug, with hundreds of millions of regular users worldwide. One in three Americans has smoked pot at least once. The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates that Americans smoke five million pounds of marijuana each year; and yet marijuana remains largely misunderstood by both its advocates and its detractors. To some, marijuana is an insidious “stepping-stone” drug, enticing the inexperienced, and paving the way to the inevitable abuse of harder drugs. To others, medical marijuana is an organic means of easing the discomfort or stimulating the appetite of the gravely ill. Others still view marijuana, like alcohol, as a largely harmless indulgence, dangerous only when used immoderately. All sides of the debate have appropriated the scientific evidence on marijuana in order to satisfy their claims. What then are we to make of these conflicting portrayals of a drug with historical origins dating back to 8,000 bc? This book examines the biological, psychological, and societal impact of this controversial substance. What are the effects, for mind and body, of long-term use? Are smokers of marijuana more likely than non-users to abuse cocaine and heroine? What effect has the increasing potency of marijuana in recent years had on users and on use? Does our current legal policy toward marijuana make sense?