Legalizing Cannabis

"As more countries look to follow evidence-based policies on drug law reform, this book is a welcome addition to the literature on this subject. The "war on drugs" has been a failure. Policy-makers need to know what the alternatives to futile attempts to prohibit drugs are. This book draws on the work of international experts to explore such options." -Rt Hon Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

"This is a comprehensive account of the diverse forms that cannabis legalization has taken in recent years, with a separate chapter telling the story and considering the lessons for each case, ranging from Uruguay to Spain to Canada, with US states, Jamaica, the Netherlands and other places in between. Other chapters consider lessons for cannabis control from regulation of alcohol and of tobacco, and from New Zealand's attempts to regulate "legal highs". It's a "must read" for anyone interested in drug policy: its histories are memorable, its interpretations thought-provoking. It's worthwhile reading too for anyone interested in market regulation, in public health policy, or in law reform." - Prof. Robin Room, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University.

"Professors Decorte, Lenton, and Wilkins have assembled a global all-star team of drug policy researchers for this excellent book. It's a must read for those seeking new insights about the past, present, and future of cannabis legalization." - Dr. Beau Kilmer, coauthor of Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know and director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center

CHOICE, October 2021 Vol. 59 No. 2:

"From 1964 through 1989 the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs predicted that non-medical use of cannabis ingredients would be eliminated throughout the world. This prediction never materialized. Instead, the marijuana market in the US alone was estimated at $2.3 billion in 2019 and was expected to reach $4.5 billion in 2020. The UN reported that approximately 250 million people use marijuana globally, making it the most widely used illicit drug in the world. This volume is thus a must-read to understand the legalization trends in other nations, what the nature of future cannabis legalization will be, and how regulation of other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol can inform the necessary regulation of marijuana markets. This book should appeal to public health enthusiasts with an interest in learning about the experiences, lessons, and scenarios of countries around the world that struggle to create public policy to address the rapidly growing international marijuana markets, which have been flourishing recently with the rise in medicinal marijuana use and the growth of recreational marijuana use. This reviewer strongly recommends this volume for anyone interested in understanding the growth of international drug markets." - P. J. Venturelli, Emeritus, Valparaiso University

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals.