In“abrilliantantidotetoallthe...falsenarrativesaboutpot“(AmericanThinker),anaward-winningauthorandformerNewYorkTimesreporterrevealsthelinkbetweenteenagemarijuanauseandmentalillness,andahiddenepidemicofviolencecausedbythedrug--factsthemediahaveignoredastheUnitedStatesrushestolegalizecannabis.Recreationalmarijuanaisnowlegalinninestates.Advocatesarguecannabiscanhelpeveryonefromveteranstocancersufferers.Butlegalizationhasbeenbuiltonmyths--thatmarijuanaarrestsfillprisons;thatmostdoctorswanttousecannabisasmedicine;thatitcansomehowstemtheopiateepidemic;thatitisbeneficialformentalhealth.Inthismeticulouslyreportedbook,AlexBerenson,aformerNewYorkTimesreporter,explodesthosemyths,explainingthatalmostnooneisinprisonformarijuana;atinyfractionofdoctorswritemostauthorizationsformedicalmarijuana,mostlyforpeoplewhohavealreadyused;andmarijuanauseislinkedtoopiateandcocaineuse.Mostofall,THC--thechemicalinmarijuanaresponsibleforthedrug’shigh--cancausepsychoticepisodes.“AlexBerensonhasareporter’stenacity,anovelist’simagination,andanoutsider’sknackforaskingintemperatequestions“(MalcolmGladwell,TheNewYorker),asherangesfromtheLondoninstitutethatishometothescientistswhohelpedprovethecannabis-psychosislinktotheColoradoprisonwhereamannowservesathirty-yearsentenceaftereatingaTHC-lacedcandybarandkillinghiswife.Hestickstothefacts,andtheyaredevastating.WiththeUSalreadygrippedbyonedrugepidemic,TellYourChildrenisa“well-writtentreatise“(PublishersWeekly)that“takesasledgehammertothepromisedbenefitsofmarijuanalegalization,andcannabisenthusiastsarenotgoingtolikeitonebit“(MotherJones).
