The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids

Download The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309453070
Total Pages : 487 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-03-31 with total page 487 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Significant changes have taken place in the policy landscape surrounding cannabis legalization, production, and use. During the past 20 years, 25 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis and/or cannabidiol (a component of cannabis) for medical conditions or retail sales at the state level and 4 states have legalized both the medical and recreational use of cannabis. These landmark changes in policy have impacted cannabis use patterns and perceived levels of risk. However, despite this changing landscape, evidence regarding the short- and long-term health effects of cannabis use remains elusive. While a myriad of studies have examined cannabis use in all its various forms, often these research conclusions are not appropriately synthesized, translated for, or communicated to policy makers, health care providers, state health officials, or other stakeholders who have been charged with influencing and enacting policies, procedures, and laws related to cannabis use. Unlike other controlled substances such as alcohol or tobacco, no accepted standards for safe use or appropriate dose are available to help guide individuals as they make choices regarding the issues of if, when, where, and how to use cannabis safely and, in regard to therapeutic uses, effectively. Shifting public sentiment, conflicting and impeded scientific research, and legislative battles have fueled the debate about what, if any, harms or benefits can be attributed to the use of cannabis or its derivatives, and this lack of aggregated knowledge has broad public health implications. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids provides a comprehensive review of scientific evidence related to the health effects and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis. This report provides a research agendaâ€"outlining gaps in current knowledge and opportunities for providing additional insight into these issuesâ€"that summarizes and prioritizes pressing research needs.

Marijuana Federalism

Download Marijuana Federalism PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
ISBN 13 : 0815737904
Total Pages : 157 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (157 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana Federalism by : Jonathan H. Adler

Download or read book Marijuana Federalism written by Jonathan H. Adler and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On marijuana, there is no mutual federal-state policy; will this cause federalism to go up in smoke? More than one-half the 50 states have legalized the use of marijuana at least for medical purposes, and about a dozen of those states have gone further, legalizing it for recreational use. Either step would have been almost inconceivable just a couple decades ago. But marijuana remains an illegal “controlled substance” under a 1970 federal law, so those who sell or grow it could still face federal prosecution. How can state and federal laws be in such conflict? And could federal law put the new state laws in jeopardy at some point? This book, an edited volume with contributions by highly regarded legal scholars and policy analysts, is the first detailed examination of these and other questions surrounding a highly unusual conflict between state and federal policies and laws. Marijuana Federalism surveys the constitutional issues that come into play with this conflict, as well as the policy questions related to law enforcement at the federal versus state levels. It also describes specific areas—such as banking regulations—in which federal law has particularly far-reaching effects. Readers will gain a greater understanding of federalism in general, including how the division of authority between the federal and state governments operates in the context of policy and legal disputes between the two levels. This book also will help inform debates as other states consider whether to jump on the bandwagon of marijuana legalization.

An Analysis of Marijuana Policy

Download An Analysis of Marijuana Policy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 55 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis An Analysis of Marijuana Policy by : National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Substance Abuse and Habitual Behavior

Download or read book An Analysis of Marijuana Policy written by National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Substance Abuse and Habitual Behavior and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1982-01-01 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Defenders of marijuana use may seize on the ambiguity or absence of evidence for such damage and ignore any other effects on education or safety; those opposed to marijuana use may emphasize the possibility of chronic disease that is suggested by some laboratory findings and ignore the social, political, and economic costs of fighting a well-established custom. The Committee wishes to make clear what it regards as the limits of this report for the selection of policy alteratives. Scientific judgment can estimate the prevalence of different kinds of use, risks to health, economic costs, and the like under current policies and can try to project such estimates for new policies. It can come to some conclusions based on those estimates. But selection of an alternative is always a value-governed choice, which can ultimately be made only by the political process.

Marijuana As Medicine?

Download Marijuana As Medicine? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309065313
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana As Medicine? by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Marijuana As Medicine? written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-12-30 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some people suffer from chronic, debilitating disorders for which no conventional treatment brings relief. Can marijuana ease their symptoms? Would it be breaking the law to turn to marijuana as a medication? There are few sources of objective, scientifically sound advice for people in this situation. Most books about marijuana and medicine attempt to promote the views of advocates or opponents. To fill the gap between these extremes, authors Alison Mack and Janet Joy have extracted critical findings from a recent Institute of Medicine study on this important issue, interpreting them for a general audience. Marijuana As Medicine? provides patientsâ€"as well as the people who care for themâ€"with a foundation for making decisions about their own health care. This empowering volume examines several key points, including: Whether marijuana can relieve a variety of symptoms, including pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and appetite loss. The dangers of smoking marijuana, as well as the effects of its active chemical components on the immune system and on psychological health. The potential use of marijuana-based medications on symptoms of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and several other specific disorders, in comparison with existing treatments. Marijuana As Medicine? introduces readers to the active compounds in marijuana. These include the principal ingredient in Marinol, a legal medication. The authors also discuss the prospects for developing other drugs derived from marijuana's active ingredients. In addition to providing an up-to-date review of the science behind the medical marijuana debate, Mack and Joy also answer common questions about the legal status of marijuana, explaining the conflict between state and federal law regarding its medical use. Intended primarily as an aid to patients and caregivers, this book objectively presents critical information so that it can be used to make responsible health care decisions. Marijuana As Medicine? will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, health care providers, patient counselors, medical faculty and studentsâ€"in short, anyone who wants to learn more about this important issue.

Smokescreen

Download Smokescreen PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1948677881
Total Pages : 269 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (486 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Smokescreen by : Kevin A. Sabet

Download or read book Smokescreen written by Kevin A. Sabet and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the leading authority on marijuana—a man who has served as White House advisor on drugs to three different administrations and who NBC News once called “the prodigy of drug politics"—comes the remarkable and shocking exposé about how 21st century pot, today’s new and highly potent form of the drug, is on the rise, spreading rapidly across America by an industry intent on putting rising profits over public health. Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn't Want You to Know examines the inside story behind the headlines, containing accounts from Sabet’s time in the Obama administration to stunning revelations from whistleblowers speaking out for the first time. What it finds is how the marijuana industry is running rampant without proper oversight, leaving Americans’ health seriously at risk. Included are interviews with industry insiders who reveal the hidden dangers of a product they had once worshipped. Also contained in these pages are insights from a major underground-market dealer who admits that legalization is hastening the growth of the illicit drug trade. And more to the heart of the issue are the tragic stories of those who have suffered and died as a result of marijuana use, and in many cases, as a result of its mischaracterization. Readers will learn how power brokers worked behind the scenes to market marijuana as a miracle plant in order to help it gain widespread acceptance and to set the stage for the lucrative expansion of recreational pot. The author of this compelling first-person narrative leading the national fight against the legalization of cannabis through his nonprofit, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (aka SAM) is Kevin Sabet. As a policy advisor to everyone from county health commissioners to Pope Francis, and a frequent public speaker on television, radio and through other media outlets, his analysis is consistently relied upon by those who recognize what’s at stake as marijuana lobbyists downplay the risks of massive commercialization. A book several years in the making, filled with vivid characters and informed by hundreds of interviews and scores of confidential documents, Sabet's Smokescreen lays bare the unvarnished truth about marijuana in America.

Marijuana and Medicine

Download Marijuana and Medicine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309071550
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana and Medicine by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Marijuana and Medicine written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-07-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The medical use of marijuana is surrounded by a cloud of social, political, and religious controversy, which obscures the facts that should be considered in the debate. This book summarizes what we know about marijuana from evidence-based medicineâ€"the harm it may do and the relief it may bring to patients. The book helps the reader understand not only what science has to say about medical marijuana but also the logic behind the scientific conclusions. Marijuana and Medicine addresses the science base and the therapeutic effects of marijuana use for medical conditions such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. It covers marijuana's mechanism of action, acute and chronic effects on health and behavior, potential adverse effects, efficacy of different delivery systems, analysis of the data about marijuana as a gateway drug, and the prospects for developing cannabinoid drugs. The book evaluates how well marijuana meets accepted standards for medicine and considers the conclusions of other blue-ribbon panels. Full of useful facts, this volume will be important to anyone interested in informed debate about the medical use of marijuana: advocates and opponents as well as policymakers, regulators, and health care providers.

Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority

Download Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Aspen Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1454887958
Total Pages : 1067 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (548 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority by : Robert A. Mikos

Download or read book Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority written by Robert A. Mikos and published by Aspen Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-18 with total page 1067 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority is a first-of-its-kind law school casebook in a rapidly-emerging and exciting new field. The accessible, comprehensive, and engaging material guides students through the competing approaches to regulating marijuana, the purposes and effects of those approaches, and the legal authorities for choosing among them. The helpful organization intersperses these issues of substantive law, policy, and authority throughout the discussion of users, suppliers, and third parties. Substantive law materials cover either prohibitions or regulations targeting users, suppliers, or third parties. Policy materials cover the goals of marijuana law and policy as well as the research on the impact of different marijuana policies. Authority materials address the different levels of government—federal, state, and local. Notes, questions, and numerous problems in each chapter provide additional thought-provoking material and help to reinforce student learning. Current, news-headlining cases keep the discussion interesting and lively. Key Features: Internationally renowned author Robert Mikos is the premier authority on marijuana law. He draws upon nearly a decade of professional experience teaching, lecturing, consulting, and writing about marijuana law and policy. Three distinct but inter-woven topics are covered: the substantive law governing marijuana; the policy rationales behind and outcomes produced by different approaches to regulating the drug; and the legal authority to regulate the drug. Students are guided through the multi-faceted legal and policy issues now confronting lawyers, lawmakers, judges, and policy analysts working in this emerging field. Written in a style that is familiar to law students, but also accessible to a much broader audience, including graduate and upper level undergraduate students in courses in policy studies, political science, and criminology. Cutting-edge issues are included that are intellectually engaging for students and professors alike—e.g., how are conflicts between state/ federal law resolved? What are the roles of courts and executive officers in terms of policy? Dives deeply into classic legal issues: contract enforceability and powers of court, Congress, and the state. Notes and Questions following cases offer stimulating fodder for discussion.

First Episode Psychosis

Download First Episode Psychosis PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 0429524145
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (295 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis First Episode Psychosis by : Katherine J. Aitchison

Download or read book First Episode Psychosis written by Katherine J. Aitchison and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2022-03-26 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new edition of this popular handbook has been thoroughly updated to include the latest data concerning treatment of first-episode patients. Drawing from their experience, the authors discuss the presentation and assessment of the first psychotic episode and review the appropriate use of antipsychotic agents and psychosocial approaches in effective management. This is an authoritative text written by a team of highly respected authors for psychiatrists, neurologists, primary care practitioners and health care professional working in psychiatry. Drawing from their experience, the presentation and assessment of the first psychotic episode are discussed, details regarding antipsychotic drugs and their appropriate use are reviewed and psychosocial approaches are examined. The resulting book offers a concise and valuable guide to those wishing to review the latest proposals for the treatment of first-episode psychosis supported by up-to-date references, in a single publication.

Problems Relating to the Control of Marihuana

Download Problems Relating to the Control of Marihuana PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 86 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (18 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Problems Relating to the Control of Marihuana by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Operations. Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee

Download or read book Problems Relating to the Control of Marihuana written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Operations. Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis

Download Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 9789057023187
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (231 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis by : British Medical Association

Download or read book Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis written by British Medical Association and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1997-11-18 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the last Annual Representative Meeting of the British Medical Association a motion was passed that `certain additional cannabinoids should be legalized for wider medicinal use.'' This report supports this landmark statement by reviewing the scientific evidence for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids and sets the agenda for change. It will be welcomed by those who believe that cannabinoids can be used in medical treatment. The report discusses in a clear and readable form the use and adverse effects of the drug for nausea, multiple sclerosis, pain, epilepsy, glaucoma, and asthma.

Marijuana Legalization

Download Marijuana Legalization PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190262400
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana Legalization by : Jonathan Paul Caulkins

Download or read book Marijuana Legalization written by Jonathan Paul Caulkins and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know provides readers with a non-partisan primer covering everything from the risks and benefits of using marijuana to what is happening with marijuana laws around the world. This book serves as the price of admission for any serious discussion about marijuana legalization.

Medical Use of Marijuana

Download Medical Use of Marijuana PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Nova Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9781590337547
Total Pages : 154 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (375 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Medical Use of Marijuana by : Tatiana Shohov

Download or read book Medical Use of Marijuana written by Tatiana Shohov and published by Nova Publishers. This book was released on 2003 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, there has been much debate over whether marijuana, an illegal drug, can provide patients with a level of therapeutic relief comparable to existing pharmaceutical treatments. While this idea is hardly new, it is advanced by some proponents as deserving more scientific inquiry. Advocates for the medical use of marijuana contend that there is already sufficient scientific evidence to justify rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, a change that would give it the necessary legal recognition to be used for medicinal purposes. This has already occurred in the case of dronabinol, the synthetic form of the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, which has been available as an oral prescription drug since 1986 under its brand name Marinol. To address these viewpoints, several comprehensive studies were done in the late 1990s to evaluate medicinal claims made for smoked marijuana and determine whether they are supported by convincing scientific evidence. The medical marijuana debate gained attention at the state level in 1996, when voters in California and Arizona approved ballot initiatives allowing doctors to prescribe the drug for therapeutic uses. In 1998, similar propositions were adopted in Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, and reaffirmed in Arizona. Voters in Maine adopted a medical marijuana initiative in 1999. In 2000, medical marijuana was approved by voters in Colorado, reconfirmed in Nevada, and passed by the legislature in Hawaii. Federal health officials assert that these initiatives are part of a strategy to soften the nation's drug laws, and that public policy would be better served if science, rather than the ballot box, were used to judge the drug's utility. This book assesses the current issues and examines the controversies regarding the marijuana legalization issue.

Tell Your Children

Download Tell Your Children PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Free Press
ISBN 13 : 1982103671
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (821 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tell Your Children by : Alex Berenson

Download or read book Tell Your Children written by Alex Berenson and published by Free Press. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In “a brilliant antidote to all the…false narratives about pot” (American Thinker), an award-winning author and former New York Times reporter reveals the link between teenage marijuana use and mental illness, and a hidden epidemic of violence caused by the drug—facts the media have ignored as the United States rushes to legalize cannabis. Recreational marijuana is now legal in nine states. Advocates argue cannabis can help everyone from veterans to cancer sufferers. But legalization has been built on myths—that marijuana arrests fill prisons; that most doctors want to use cannabis as medicine; that it can somehow stem the opiate epidemic; that it is beneficial for mental health. In this meticulously reported book, Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter, explodes those myths, explaining that almost no one is in prison for marijuana; a tiny fraction of doctors write most authorizations for medical marijuana, mostly for people who have already used; and marijuana use is linked to opiate and cocaine use. Most of all, THC—the chemical in marijuana responsible for the drug’s high—can cause psychotic episodes. “Alex Berenson has a reporter’s tenacity, a novelist’s imagination, and an outsider’s knack for asking intemperate questions” (Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker), as he ranges from the London institute that is home to the scientists who helped prove the cannabis-psychosis link to the Colorado prison where a man now serves a thirty-year sentence after eating a THC-laced candy bar and killing his wife. He sticks to the facts, and they are devastating. With the US already gripped by one drug epidemic, Tell Your Children is a “well-written treatise” (Publishers Weekly) that “takes a sledgehammer to the promised benefits of marijuana legalization, and cannabis enthusiasts are not going to like it one bit” (Mother Jones).

Handbook of Cannabis

Download Handbook of Cannabis PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199662681
Total Pages : 781 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (996 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Handbook of Cannabis by : Roger G. Pertwee

Download or read book Handbook of Cannabis written by Roger G. Pertwee and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2014 with total page 781 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In addition it also examines the complex morphology, cultivation, harvesting, and processing of cannabis and the ways in which the plant's chemical composition can be controlled. As well as offering a raft of scientific information there is extensive coverage of cannabinoid-based medicines. Helping readers to identify and evaluate their benefits, chapters explore pharmacological actions and the effects that seem to underlie approved therapeutic uses, how they are currently used to treat certain disorders, and the ever-growing number of wide-ranging potential clinical applications. There is also coverage of both the legal and illegal sources of cannabis, including 'coffee shops' and 'cannabis dispensaries'. The complex issue of 'recreational cannabis' is also tackled.

Marijuana Pest and Disease Control

Download Marijuana Pest and Disease Control PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Ed Rosenthal
ISBN 13 : 1936807181
Total Pages : 232 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (368 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana Pest and Disease Control by : Ed Rosenthal

Download or read book Marijuana Pest and Disease Control written by Ed Rosenthal and published by Ed Rosenthal. This book was released on 2012-05-08 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A wide range of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies can zap the vitality of any cannabis garden. Inexperienced gardeners often rely on pesticides that are not registered for edibles, as well as other harmful or ineffective techniques that can render plants unusable. This resourceful guide comes to the rescue, showing gardeners how to win back a garden and nurture plants to their full potential, using safe, organic, and integrated pest management techniques. In addition to providing readers with the know-how to get their plants healthy, Marijuana Pest and Disease Control highlights design and garden practices to prevent future infections. Author Ed Rosenthal gears the book to gardeners at every level of experience and in any growing situation from indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse to hydro and terrace gardens. Extensive color photographs and illustration help identify the exact problem.

Marijuana and Mental Health

Download Marijuana and Mental Health PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN 13 : 1615370080
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (153 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Marijuana and Mental Health by : Michael T. Compton, M.D., M.P.H.

Download or read book Marijuana and Mental Health written by Michael T. Compton, M.D., M.P.H. and published by American Psychiatric Pub. This book was released on 2016-03-18 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With relatable clinical vignettes that illustrate the applicability of each chapter’s content, as well as key chapter points that summarize major themes, Marijuana and Mental Health is the definitive, single source of comprehensive information on marijuana and mental health in modern American society. Balanced, focused, and highly readable, chapters address topics such as the effects of marijuana on the brain and mind, marijuana-related policy and legislation, the complex link between marijuana use and psychotic disorders, synthetic cannabinoids, and the treatment and prevention of marijuana misuse. Beyond offering clinical and research psychiatrists, psychiatric residents and fellows, clinical psychologists, and psychiatric nurses a comprehensive but concise compilation of research in this area, this reference informs clinical mental health practice as well as policy decisions by articulating the connection between marijuana and mental health, particularly in the United States.

Drugs and Drug Policy

Download Drugs and Drug Policy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : SAGE
ISBN 13 : 0761930078
Total Pages : 529 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (619 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Drugs and Drug Policy by : Clayton J. Mosher

Download or read book Drugs and Drug Policy written by Clayton J. Mosher and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2007 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drugs and Drug Policy: The Control of Consciousness Alteration provides a cross-national perspective on the regulation of drug use by examining and critiquing drug policies in the United States and abroad in terms of their scope, goals, and effectiveness. In this engaging text, authors Clayton J. Mosher and Scott Akins discuss the physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of legal and illicit drugs; the patterns and correlates of use; and theories of the "causes" of drug use. Key Features: * Offers more coverage of drug policy issues than competitive books: This book addresses the number of significant developments over the last few decades that suggest the dynamics of drug use and policies to deal with drug use are at a critical juncture. The book also considers the issue of "American exceptionalism" with respect to drug policies through a detailed analysis of emerging drug polices in other Western nations. * Makes explicit comparisons between legal and illegal drugs: Due to their prevalence of use, this book devotes considerable attention to the use and regulation of legal drugs in society. The book illustrates that commonly prescribed medications are similar to drugs that are among the most feared and harshly punished in society and that drug-related problems do not necessarily result from particular drugs, but from how drugs are used. * Includes many pedagogical tools: With chapter opening photos and more photos throughout, this text presents material in a student- friendly fashion. Highlight boxes provide interesting examples for readers; encourage further emphasis on issues; and serve as important topics for in class writing exercises. In addition, Internet exercises and review questions reinforce key points made in the chapter and prompt classroom discussion.