Cannabis - Philosophy for Everyone

The debate on the status and legality of cannabis continues to gain momentum. Here, personal anecdotes combined with academic and scientific reports combine to sharpen some of the fascinating philosophical issues associated with cannabis use.

• A frank, professionally informed and playful discussion of cannabis usage in relation to philosophical inquiry
• Considers the meaning of a ‘high’, the morality of smoking marijuana for pleasure, the slippery slope to more dangerous drugs, and the human drive to alter our consciousness
• Not only incorporates contributions from philosophers, psychologists, sociologists or legal, pharmacological, and medical experts, but also non-academics associated with the cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis
• Brings together an international team of writers from the United States, Canada, UK, Finland, Switzerland, South Africa, and New Zealand

Foreword xii
Richard Cusick

Preface xv
Dale Jacquette

Introduction: What is Cannabis and How Can We Get Some? 1
Dale Jacquette

Part I Cannabis Phenomenology 19

1 A Cannabis Odyssey 21
Lester Grinspoon

2 Seeing Snakes: On Delusion, Knowledge, and the Drug Experience 35
G. T. Roche

3 The Cannabis Experience: An Analysis of “Flow” 50
Andrew D. Hathaway and Justin Sharpley

Part II Marijuana and Spiritual Enlightenment 63

4 Buzz, High, and Stoned: Metaphor, Meaning, and the Cannabis Experience 65
Michael Montagne

5 The Great Escape 77
Charles Taliaferro and Michel Le Gall

6 Cannabis and the Human Condition: “Something of the Kind is Indispensable” 90
Brian R. Clack

Part III Creatively High 101

7 Hallucinatory Terror: The World of the Hashish Eater 103
Tommi Kakko

8 Marijuana and Creativity 114
Ryan E. Holt and James C. Kaufman

9 Navigating Creative Inner Space on the Innocent Pleasures of Hashish 121
Dale Jacquette

Part IV Psycho-Sociological Dimensions of Cannabis Culture 137

10 Cannabis and the Culture of Alienation 139
Mark Thorsby

11 Reefer Madness: Cannabis, the Individual, and Public Policy 149
Tuomas E. Tahko

12 Soft vs. Hard: Why Drugs are Not Like Eggs 162
Brian Penrose

Part V Cannabis Ethics and Politics 173

13 “Smoking Pot Doesn’t Hurt Anyone But Me!” Why Adults Should be Allowed to Consume Cannabis 175
Jack Green Musselman, Russ Frohardt, and D. G. Lynch

14 Pot Politics: Prohibition and Morality 192
Mitch Earleywine

15 Cannabis and the Good Life: Needs, Capabilities, and Human Flourishing 214
Theodore Schick, Jr.

16 Weakness of Will: The Cannabis Connection 226
Michael Funke

Notes on Contributors 236

"Many interesting dimensions of cannabis research are reflected in this book, which is written in an intelligent and entertaining style." (About.com, 11 September 2011)

"Cannabis: Philosophy for Everyone- What Were We Just Talking About? Provides a refreshing collection of essays- from both sides of the fence- on the many philosophical facets of pot ingestion...HIGH TIMES associate publisher Rick Cusick writes in the foreword: "While I personally believe that legalizing cannabis would encourage a more civilized society, I also recognize that reasonable people can disagree. That is why this book is so timely and important. There are overblown claims on both sides of the equation and we need to have the more disciplined discourse that philosophy provides." (HIGH TIMES, February 2011)"Their newest release Cannabis-Philosophy for Everyone aims to bridge the world of academia, as it relates to cannabis, with the interests and concerns of those on the outside. Contributors include international scholars in the fields of philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, pharmacology, psychotherapy, and medicine as well as non-academics associated with the cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis. For those looking for a thought-provoking, heady read, find out more about this book at www.wiley.com." (Nug Magazine, November 2010)"The book is both high- and low-brow and is sure to please undergrads searching for epiphanies while hanging out in hazy basements." (The Washington Post, November 2010)

"It's a serious read that should be on your bookshelf. We are going to say, especially if you are a cannabis industry / business owner; this book will help you to understand your product and the people that love it so that you can apply what you've learned in "philosophy class" to the real world in a way that will boost your brand.." (Hempista, 24 October 2010)

Editor DALE JACQUETTE is Senior Professorial Chair in Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Series Editor FRITZ ALLHOFF is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.

CANNABIS PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE

A hazy student phase? A harmless way to relax? An effective form of pain relief? Or a dangerous and addictive narcotic? The debate on the status and legality of cannabis continues to rage on. Here, personal anecdotes, combined with academic and scientific reports, wrestle with some of the fascinating issues associated with cannabis use. In these pages, philosophers, psychologists, and medical experts (some of whom may even enjoy the occasional spliff) try to understand:

• What exactly does it mean to get high?
• Is it immoral to smoke marijuana for pleasure?
• Is cannabis the start of the slippery road to other, more dangerous drugs?
• Is altering our consciousness a basic human need?
• What is the morality or immorality of cannabis prohibition laws?

Cannabis – Philosophy for Everyone offers frank, professionally informed, and often humorous discussions on the gourmandise and ethical, social, and political dimensions of this psychoactive and outlawed drug.