6 recommended books about cannabis

August is the month of summer holidays and that means it’s time to chill! Once upon a time a big part of that tradition was settling down beside a pool or on the beach with a cool drink and a good book.

Times may have moved on, but scrolling a smartphone just isn’t the same.

So here’s a list of our recommendations for the best books about cannabis to pack in your suitcase this summer.

In the following list we have something for everyone – from the informative to the banal, and featuring some classics of the genre, as well as some classic personalities. Welcome to the library, please take a moment to browse our selection.

We have separated our recommendations into the following categories: cannabis history books, cannabis science and medical books, cannabis culture books and women in cannabis books.

Cannabis history books

The Emperor Wears No Clothes: A History of Cannabis/Hemp/Marijuana by Jack Herer.

If you love weed then it’s definitely one of the best books about cannabis ever written.

This 1985 masterpiece was written by American cannabis activist Jack Herer and wise words such as "I don't know if hemp is going to save the world but it's the only thing that can", have inspired generations of weed growers and consumers and this book is a must read for anyone who seeks to understand how cannabis achieved its present legal heights.

This book is one of the reasons why Jack Herer is revered as the Emperor of Cannabis.

Cannabis science and medical books

Cannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health by Professor David Nutt.

Professor Nutt is well known around the world for his willingness to talk straight about drugs. Once an drugs advisor to the UK government, his honesty got him removed from his position.

This book is based on the results of a research trial involving almost 20,000 patients, looking at the effect of cannabis on mind and body. As the blurb says, “This is the essential knowledge that cuts through the noise and give us evidence-based information that will change people's lives”.

Note to governments around the world – it’s time to follow the science!

Phoenix Tears - The Rick Simpson Story by Rick Simpson

This makes the list because Rick Simpson’s story helped to popularize Rick Simpson’s oil aka RSO or cannabis oil for medical use.

Before legalization and increased interest from the medical and scientific community, many medical cannabis patients who were inspired by Rick’s tale of substituting pharmaceutical industry medication for cannabis based medicine.

We can  also recommend his follow up book Rick Simpson Oil - Nature’s Answer for Cancer.

Women in cannabis books 

A Woman's Guide to Cannabis: Using Marijuana to Feel Better, Look Better, Sleep Better–and Get High Like a Lady by Nikki Furrer.

Cannabis has always suffered from having a very male focus – for many years it was all about the bros growing the ‘girls’.

However the last decade has seen a welcome re-balancing of the scales and the emergence of a new narrative in which women have staked out their own territory in the world of weed.

This book speaks to female aficionados and also provides a good touch stone for women who are curious about exploring cannabis more.

How I Became The Hash Queen by Mila Jansen

If we are talking about heroes and heroines of the cannabis scene, then Mila Jansen jumps straight to the front of the line.

This fascinating autobiography charts Mila’s extraordinary journey through cannabis culture and gives some real insight in to the cannabis counter culture of the hippie trail and Amsterdam in the 1960s an 1970s. As a mother and a woman in a male dominated industry, her story is inspirational.

Mila is a true adventurer, innovator and the inventor of cold water extraction devices, the Ice-o-lator, Pollinator and Bubbleator. If you have never heard of the Queen of Hash before, you are in for a treat!

Cannabis Culture books

High on Design: The New Cannabis Culture by gestalten / Santiago Rodriguez Tarditi 

Cannabis has been transformed as a product which was produced and distributed in the shadows to becoming a product which is produced and distributed like anything else (in some parts of the world at least).

This has seen the emergence of a new era of high design and cannabis branding.

While diehards may lament the loss of innocence and integrity which has accompanied the legalization process, this book is fascinating because it shows how far weed has come in popular culture.

Stoner Coloring Book for Adults: 47 Psychedelic Pages for Stress Relief & Relaxation by Honey Badger Coloring

If the thought of doing all that reading is exhausting then this is for you! There are a few coloring books for stoners on the market, but we liked the pictures from this one.

Also Honey Badger does a nice line in irreverent titles which, after the high brow observations of High on Design, reminds us that at its roots cannabis culture has always been about having fun!