Dillon Yost

HLTH 1050 Mon & Wed

The Cannabis Manifesto by Steve DeAngelo

The book starts off with four clear points: cannabis is not harmful but prohibition is,

cannabis should never have been made illegal, cannabis has always been a medicine, and choose

cannabis for wellness not intoxication. One of the more shocking things I read was how he

described intoxication, or rather lack thereof he described wellness as enhancing music or the

touch of a loved one even described a use for cannabis as an awakening wonder.

The book elaborates all of this throughout the history of cannabis and his own

experience with the problem that illegal cannabis has caused. He goes to describe an event that

happened in Oakland, on this particular event federal DEA agents were raiding a school that was

the only licensed trade school for the cannabis market. He uses this example to teach his first two

points of four. The raid had many law enforcement officers up by the university, in order to stop

a harmless rally to protect the university from swarming DEA agents who raided the college and

arrested the Dean. During the raid just down the road a shooting had occurred, killing 7 at a local

school by the airport. He uses this example to show that because the federal government says it is

illegal while other states recognize it’s medicinal benefits that we use up resources that have

better uses in our communitie. In recourse to that prohibition it has led to many arrests that are

frighteningly racist in the book he talks about 15 percent more African Americans getting

arrested for cannabis related changes and are convicted 40 percent more often than those of

white people. In direct correlation with the prohibition of cannabis we saw a rise in drug dealers

and thus began the start of mexican drug cartels that would smuggle cannabis into the United

states. Whenever something is made illegal to get, people will always find a way to get it to
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them. On the opposite of that when people see a way to make money they will find a way or

make a way to do so.

He goes to explain the reasoning behind cannabis being made illegal. He states that

cannabis was made illegal not because of the plant but because of the people who were using it.

The poor could grow cannabis almost anywhere it was a hardy plant that thrived in most harsh

climates. Even the rich used cannabis as it was a cheaper alternative to paper. In fact the

Declaration of Independence was drafted and written on hemp paper. Even George Washington

grew hemp at his estate. So what events led up to the prohibition and illegalization of cannabis.

In the book he discusses how the media took part in the racial movement that took place to ban

cannabis. It tells of a story in New York of a African American man who ran to a hospital

because he had run after and threatened two women in the streets of new york while under the

influence of cannabis or he called them “reefer dreams” saying he say a bunch of naked women

in a ben waiting like they were expecting someone. Another media story quickly came out that

spoke of “Killer weed” that was finding its way to children and to students. While no evidence

was ever offered to the public. All of this was a scare tactic to embed racism at the deepest level

where we don't even recognize it as racism but instead try to justify previous actions instead of

owning up and correcting the problem.

How has Cannabis been used for medical uses. He goes on to talk about a boy Jayden

from 2006 who had over 20 prescription medications to help him with his grand mal seizure,

nothing had helped, while the doctors were unsure where his treatment could go as it seemed

nothing would work. He gave the boy a few tinctures and in just a few weeks later he elaborates

about how the boy smiled and how he was alert playing with his toys and his father. His seizure

had dropped over 90 percent. Allowing him to act in ways previously not possible for young
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Jayden. He goes to talk about how medical cannabis is life changing to so many people, but he

fears as he stays up at night weary of raids and the multiple death sentences he is technically

eligible for. All of this and it proves that it can help people yet still the government ignores

practical science in favor of big pharma who stand to lose millions with the cannabis industry.

What is wellness, and where is the line between being intoxicated from cannabis and

using it for wellness. While yoga, acupuncture, chiropractor, and other healing techniques all

promote wellness. Wellness is a state of mind and body. Smoking cannabis before going to a

concert so you can envelop yourself into the music. Does this fall into wellness or into pleasure,

the answer is both, you can not overdose on cannabis the worst you may get is extreme anxiety

or even vomiting. It is not like alcohol where you are changed into a different person, but rather

you are able immerse yourself in what is going on and truly enjoy the moment. While this may

sound like just getting drunk or taking other party drugs there is something different about

cannabis that opens the mind to new insight. It has been used by poets that use it to evoke

creativity in their speech and writing. The dictionary describes intoxication as” any substance

thats excite or stupefy… to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished”

While this book doesn't really have any defined charters that evolve over time he talks

about his own evolution with cannabis and his views of the substance it started out as something

that should only be used for medical uses, then it grew into a use for wellness. To enhance

something that doesn't require a need for a prescribed pill such as, dancing, being intimate with a

lover and etcetera.

My review of the book. I incredibly enjoyed this book as learning the history and

backstory to cannabis was fascinating. One part that really struck home with me was the part

about Jayden, the little boy who was having grand mal seizures. As a child me and my two other
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siblings all had seizures most were minor but we all had at least one grand mal growing up. We

even participated at a study at Stanford for research on if seizures could be hereditary.

Nonetheless when I have kids there is a huge likelihood that he will have grand mal seizures like

me and my two other siblings had and to know that cannabis could help if my son had those

problems is incredibly comforting.