Navigating the ever-changing world of cannabis isn’t easy for a consumer on their own, let alone one who is raising kids. Luckily, there are several books on cannabis out there to help. These SWEET JANE recommendations provide up-to-date information on everything from types of cannabis consumption to how to talk to your kids about the plant.
Weed Mom: The Canna-Curious Woman’s Guide to Healthier Relaxation, Happier Parenting, and Chilling TF Out
Danielle Simone Brand lays it all out in her book, with chapters titled “Cannabis and Yo Mama” and “The Big O: Sex, Relationships, and Cannabis.” Brand—who is known for her articles and essays on cannabis, parenting, and relationships—gears these pages toward canna-curious mothers, but she makes it funny and engaging for everyone on the canna-spectrum as she mixes current information with personal stories. Published in 2020, the book looks at the cultural shift society is facing as cannabis gets closer to federal legalization, as well as tips and advice about dispensaries, edibles, microdosing, talking to family and friends about cannabis, and more.
A Woman’s Guide to Cannabis: Using Marijuana to Feel Better, Look Better, Sleep Better—and Get High Like a Lady
The title says it all when it comes to Nikki Furrer’s manual about cannabis use, which was published in 2018. Furrer is a cannabis lawyer, cultivator, and the CEO of Fleur, a cannabis consulting firm. She also worked as a budtender and grower in Colorado, so she has a wealth of knowledge about the industry. In her book, she shares personal stories about cannabis—aptly balancing humor and seriousness—and goes over canna-basics like navigating a dispensary, cannabis consuming methods, how to use cannabis topicals to relieve pain and improve your skin, and more. She also includes more than 20 cannabis-infused recipes for readers to try.
Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana
A resource for nearly any question one has about cannabis, this encyclopedia-like book was first published in 2014, then updated in 2017. Years later, the evidence-based information still holds up. Author Michael Backes has more than 10 years of experience studying and working in cannabis, and he recently co-founded Perfect, a cannabis manufacturing company where he is the chief product officer. In this detailed book, Backes covers everything from varietals, types of delivery, and dosing to 50 kinds of ailments and conditions that can be alleviated with cannabis. Although dense with information, the book is easy to navigate and filled with illustrations and images for context.
The ABCs of CBD: The Essential Guide: Why Pot Is NOT What We Were Taught
From ancient wisdom to current-day pop culture, author Shira Adler takes a deep dive in her 2018 book into “the other ingredient in hemp and pot”: cannabidiol, more commonly called CBD. Adler—a CBD expert, educator, and the founder and CEO of Synergy by Shira Adler—makes this book fun and approachable, covering topics like industry trends, the endocannabinoid system, social justice, the science behind CBD, and much more. She looks at CBD derived from hemp, as well as cannabis. Plus, for parents, there’s an informative section on talking with their kids about CBD.
The Brain on Cannabis: What You Should Know About Recreational and Medical Marijuana
Myths about the harms and benefits of cannabis abound. Rebecca Siegel, a clinical psychiatrist specializing in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, mood disorders, and ADHD, tries to break through the noise in her new book, published in 2021. Siegel starts each chapter with a “myth of harmfulness” and “myth of harmlessness,” ultimately using research, as well as her personal point of view, to help readers understand cannabis’s effects on the brain. She dissects issues in an approachable manner, including how to talk with young people about cannabis use, why those genetically vulnerable to psychiatric disorders should be careful with cannabis, how the plant affects mood and productivity, long-term vs. short-term use, and much more.
Barbara Platts has more than a decade of experience in journalism, working in different forms of media from public radio and podcasts to newspapers and magazines. She’s won awards for her work as a columnist for the Aspen Times and currently works as the editor-in-chief for Lunch Ticket, a literary and art journal dedicated to issues of social, economic, and environmental justice.
She’s currently pursuing her MFA for creative nonfiction writing at Antioch University. Barbara was raised in Boulder, Colorado and has watched the medicinal and recreational cannabis scene blossom across the state over the past decade. She recently moved back to Boulder after a stint in Los Angeles. When she’s not working, Barbara can be found hiking with her fiancé and two adorable pups, skiing the steeps in the Colorado mountains, reading an intriguing memoir or news article, or spending time with friends and family.
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @BarbaraPlatts.
