Marijuana

Today’s headlines shine light on the growing trend toward the legalization of marijuana, a psychoactive drug derived from the cannabis plant whose use cuts across diverse classes of people. In this compilation of articles, readers encounter a journalistic history of cannabis use. Successive phases of fear (often coupled with racist attitudes toward Mexicans and Latinos) and embrace (by hippies, U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, and other segments of the counterculture) have often clouded sound judgment about the benefits and risks of the drug. These articles explore every facet of these diverse approaches, highlighting an array of medical, economic, and social perspectives on marijuana and those who use it.