Cannabiz

by John Geluardi

Cannabiz tells one the most important political and business stories of our the transformation of a counterculture movement into a growth industry with staggering potential. Charting the rise of medical marijuana in California and 14 other states, award-winning journalist John Geluardi vividly recounts the movement’s early activism, its legal challenges and victories, and its emergence as a commercial and political force.



Tracing the history of marijuana in the United States, Cannabiz also reports on the industry’s key players, political allies and opponents, internal strife, and audacious aspirations―including a 2010 ballot initiative to legalize the adult use of marijuana in California. Along the way, Geluardi describes local efforts to regulate dispensaries, ranging from workable ordinances in some cities to bureaucratic paralysis in Los Angeles, where dispensaries came to outnumber McDonalds franchises. He also reports on efforts in Humboldt County, the heartland of marijuana cultivation, to keep pot illegal―and prices high.



Adroitly profiling this unique industry, Cannabiz tells a distinctively American story―one whose colorful characters and fascinating details evoke Prohibition and the Gold Rush.

Genres: Nonfiction

202 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2010

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look into the medical marijuana industry. Unfortunately, the material is fairly dated, but it does show how the industry got started, the many impasses and roadblocks along the way, and the threats to it's future.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book the Friday before the April 2, 2012 raid on Oaksterdam University. I started reading last night, listening to accounts of the federal raid. I wanted to catch up.

The book itself was alright. The narrative moved along. The book covers the rise of medical marijuana and the expansion of the business side of the production and distribution of the medical marijuana. The book documents local regulations of dispensaries and state wide initiative movements to legalize marijuana for adult use.

The book discusses a lot of events that have happened in the Bay Area since I have been living here. I remember listening to Ed Rosenthal discuss his case on the radio. His arrest created an activist response network to be on the spot for raids and arrests. This level of organization seemed to be present during the federal raid on Monday.