Pot, Inc.: Inside Medical Marijuana, America’s Most Outlaw Industry

Campbell’s impressive new book explores pot from all angles, giving voice to both sides on the complex debate, and providing a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on the drug, especially the medical benefits. Campbell (Blood Diamonds) delves into the history of pot’s persecution, beginning with the racial undertones of initial opposition in the 1930s, to Nixon’s War on Drugs and the contemporary federal approach that seems too entrenched to reverse its universal policy of “Just Say No.” Although he supports a nuanced acceptance of marijuana use, Campbell holds the pro-pot advocates up to the journalistic microscope, highlighting the leadership squabbles, scandals, and shady characters within the movement. The narrative proves most engaging when Campbell explores his personal involvement with the drug. After his home state of Colorado amended the state constitution to permit medical marijuana, and with the 2009 memo from the Obama administration that downplays the importance of persecuting medical marijuana charges, Campbell joins the Wild West of marijuana cultivation, as hundreds of dispensaries pop up overnight, including one in his own gym. Not content to observe, Campbell applies for a medical marijuana card, converts his basement office into a grow room, and even sells his pot on Craigslist. The book masterfully blends research with personal anecdote to argue that the problem in this country isn’t marijuana, but how wrongly we perceive it. (June)