Cannabis — the honest truth!

“Wayne Hall and Rosalie Pacula have written the first honest book on cannabis addressing the whole range of issues that need to be considered for a sensible policy discussion.” No, the source of this quotation is not the publisher’s advertising department. Rather, these are the words of the author of the book’s preface, Peter Reuter, one of the most perspicacious international scholars in the area of psychoactive drugs policy.

Honesty and comprehensiveness are features too often lacking in debates on illicit drugs policy. Hall and Pacula (Australian scholars with outstanding reputations in the drugs field) have taken this head on, aiming “to improve the quality of public policy debate on cannabis by ensuring that all relevant issues are addressed” (p3). The book certainly is comprehensive, striking an excellent balance between reviewing and assessing the evidence about the health, psychological and social consequences of cannabis use and, importantly, the costs and effectiveness of cannabis prohibition.

This volume is beautifully designed, making its contents accessible to both the busy professional and the student. This is achieved by the use of many subheadings, chapter summaries and a final topic-by-topic summary chapter.

Cannabis use and dependence is a book that I will refer to frequently. It is a wonderful resource, providing in one place a sound presentation and evaluation of the current literature about the impacts of cannabis use and of society’s responses to cannabis and its use, and suggesting pathways towards sounder, more evidence-based public policy on cannabis. It fills a significant gap for students and their instructors, as no other volume provides reliable information and assessment in such a package. People of influence in public health and government, involved in the contested field of evolving policies on cannabis, should also find this an invaluable resource. As Peter Reuter said, it is both honest and comprehensive — quite an achievement!

David McDonaldConsultant in Social Research andEvaluation Canberra, ACT