I’ll be blunt. If you live in the United States and have used ANY drug that our society has seen fit to declare illegal, stop what you’re doing and BUY THIS BOOK NOW. Most U.S. citizens are shamefully unaware of the rights guaranteed to them by the U. S. Constitution and the constitutions of the several states, and the sad fact of the matter is that rights unexercised wither away. Most people in jail—victims of the War on Some Drugs or not—talk themselves into incarceration through their ignorance. Don’t become one of them. One day this book will be seen as the sad survival manual for victims of a pernicious and futile attempt to regulate human consciousness, but in the meantime, I urge you to educate yourself and exercise your rights.

Richard Glen Boire, a defense attorney specializing in drug cases, is also known for publishing The Entheogen Law Reporter and his now-defunct Copswatch email report. In Marijuana Law he has produced a thorough yet readable overview of the title subject. In doing so, Boire also provides the reader with an excellent introduction to civil rights and constitutional law in general that should be considered mandatory reading for EVERYONE with an interest in proscribed drugs.

Marijuana Law is matter-of-fact in tone and extremely sobering without being depressing. On the contrary, I found it an excellent, engaging introduction to law and legal precedent as they relate to marijuana and other drugs, accessible either by reading it straight through or in pieces on as as-needed basis. For nearly all issues and legal precedents he discusses, Boire describes two cases, one resulting in conviction, the other acquittal or dismissal of charges, differentiating between the two in a manner I have found extremely pedagogical. One aspect I have found particularly valuable about Boire’s book is the attention it devotes to unraveling the logic behind key precendents, regardless of whether one agrees with the practical results. I have gained greater respect for constitutional separation of powers in the US and come to understand why an activist judge cannot (and should not) sweep away the War on Drugs by decree.

Thoreau said that “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.” I envy his courage and conviction, but we are not all so brave, and even those who are willing to face imprisonment as an act of civil disobedience should do so with full legal knowledge to complement and strengthen their sense of human morals.

Preserve your freedom. Know your rights. Buy this book.

Topics covered:

• Federal and state laws concerning marijuana
• Consitutional law basics
• Information gathering by the police
• Encounters with the police
• Searches, especially of cars and homes
• Gardens
• Medical and religious issues (very depressing)
• What to do if you’re arrested
• Drug testing