A witty, engaging, in-depth, and evidence-based look at how cannabis affects our brains.

Pot, marijuana, cannabis, weed, ganja, hash, grass: whatever you call it, cannabis can profoundly affect the human body and brain. In The Science of Weed, renowned psychiatric researcher, physician, and Yale neuroscience professor Godfrey Pearlson offers a deep dive into the facts of cannabis, covering everything from its botany and chemistry to its impacts on psychology and human behavior. Taking a neutral approach to the subject in an easily comprehensible style, Pearlson emphasizes evidence-based research to separate the truth from the hype about this complicated plant.

Pearlson examines key issues, including the origins of the plant and its interactions with humans throughout history, plus its medicinal applications. He also explores its chemical structure and composition, as well as the internal cannabinoid system of the human body, its major functions, and the mechanisms behind how this system produces a subjective high. Moving beyond its impacts on the human brain and body, Pearlson shares the plant's collective impact on economics and the health care system, with a focus on how scientific scrutiny can bring enlightened reason to the contentious debates surrounding the drug.

This fascinating survey of what we know from a scientific point of view about cannabis can help guide public policy on legalization and help readers make their own decisions about using it. This book is for anyone who wants to understand how cannabis impacts our brains and bodies to objectively weigh its risks and benefits.

Godfrey Pearlson is a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Yale University and directs a brain research center at the Institute of Living in Connecticut.