Looking to learn more about CBD and cannabis? While there’s plenty of good info online (*waves*), there’s still nothing like a good book to get a broader understanding of a subject. But where can you find a good CBD book recommendation?
Fortunately, whether you’re interested in looking at CBD and cannabis through the lenses of politics, business, culture, or science, there are writers who have published fascinating explorations of the subject.
But as a reader, it’s hard to determine which sources are the most trustworthy — something that’s true whether you’re browsing Google results or flipping through titles at your local bookstore.
So, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite cannabis and CBD books. Read on to learn which ones we find ourselves recommending to friends and family over and over again.
Our Top Cannabis and CBD Books
Healing With CBD: How Cannabidiol Can Transform Your Health Without the High
If we could recommend just one book to someone interested in learning more about CBD, this would be it.
In clear, accessible prose, the writers provide a thorough introduction to CBD and the endocannabinoid system.
It breaks down the research on CBD’s efficacy for many different medical conditions. It discusses in detail the advantages and disadvantages associated with different delivery methods. And it introduces strategies for finding the optimal dose.
Our one quibble? We’re not fans of the authors’ decision to use the term “cannabis” to refer only to high-THC varieties of cannabis, while “hemp” is used to refer to low-THC varieties. It’s understandable to want to avoid the loaded history of the term “marijuana,” but this terminology choice exacerbates the common misconception that hemp is not cannabis.
CBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis
This is an excellent resource for patients and practitioners who are interested in the medical applications of CBD.
Leinow and Birnbaum offer in-depth information about how to use CBD for different conditions. You’ll find expert advice on different delivery methods, along with thorough descriptions of high-CBD cannabis strains.
And if you’ve ever been mystified by the wide range of advice about CBD dosage, you’ll be happy to find excellent dosage tables and strategies for different types of concerns.
Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana
If you’re looking for detailed information about how to use cannabis for different health concerns, this is the book for you. You’ll find summaries of relevant research, dosage information, and discussions of which cannabinoid ratios would be most effective for a comprehensive list of medical conditions.
Cannabis Pharmacy is concerned with the medical applications of cannabis in general. But it doesn’t overlook CBD where it’s relevant. For example, the chapters on pediatric medical cannabis and PTSD each devote a good deal of page space to cannabidiol.
And best of all, the writing is clear and easy to understand, with handy illustrations to make it even easier to understand different concepts.
Brave New Weed: Adventures into the Uncharted World of Cannabis
Brave New Weed takes you on a wild ride through the science, history, and culture of cannabis. From cannabis conventions in Amsterdam to cutting-edge research on CBD for traumatic brain injury, you’ll have an expanded understanding of cannabis by the time you set this book down.
And it’s a fun read, too. Dolce’s snappy writing makes complex information accessible and entertaining. Reading this book is like having a lively coanversation with a smart, witty friend.
Some information is a tad dated, since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, but this is still an essential book for anyone who wants to learn more about the place of cannabis in contemporary culture and medicine.
Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany
By Robert C. Clarke and Mark D. Merlin
This meticulously researched, scholarly tome traces the cannabis plant’s history and genetics. CBD is not the focus here, and it is only addressed a handful of times. But we strongly recommend this book if your curiosity extends to the cannabis plant in general, rather than just our favorite cannabinoid.
To be clear, this is not a quick read. It’s filled with columns of tiny, tiny text, which is densely packed onto the page.
So, pick up your reading glasses and get ready for a wealth of glorious, precise detail about the history and culture surrounding cannabis.
