The Little Book of Cannabis packs a mighty punch

Amanda Seibert is an award-winning journalist and photographer based in British Columbia who covers the cannabis industry as one of Canada’s first cannabis-specific editors. Seibert is best known for her work with the Georgia Straight and Leafly.

In her first book, The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life, Seibert explores common myths and misconceptions surrounding the cannabis plant, including whether or not cannabis use can cure cancer, help us get a better night’s sleep, enjoy steamier sex and act as a weight loss aid.
“For many years, I’ve found cannabis to be useful, not just in my own life, but for many people in my community and around the world. I like the idea of showing people how beneficial its use can be, even if it’s something they might not completely understand,” she says.

A peek inside The Little Book of Cannabis

Having interviewed some of the world’s top researchers, medical professionals and consultants, Seibert is able to address some of society’s most burning questions about the stigmatized plant. Breaking her research down into 10 categories, she presents evidence-based ways that cannabis may be able to improve peoples’ lives.

“I think one of the most interesting things I learned was the relationship between cannabis and mental health,” Seibert explains. “Many people believe that early cannabis use can lead to mental health issues, or that it can exacerbate anxiety, but in my research, I learned that these risks are often overstated, and that cannabis can be a valuable tool for individuals suffering from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.”

A truly fascinating aspect to cannabis is that it affects different people in different ways. For example, in some cases, a little bit of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could be just what a consumer needs to relax at the end of a long day, but too much THC could also cause that person to feel anxiety. For this reason, many cannabis users are starting to look for products made with cannabidiol (CBD), the compound that doesn’t produce a feeling of euphoria the same way that THC does.

Cannabis use around the world

The United Nations 2017 World Drug Report indicated that there could be as many as 238 million people around the world who consume cannabis, making it the most widely used drug globally. This makes sense when one considers the same report also found cannabis is grown in 135 countries around the world.

Education around safe consumption is necessary for a smooth transition into a post-prohibition era and Seibert delivers with safe consumption and dosage information and tips that are easy to follow. For example, when asked about consuming edibles, Seibert says, “Not only does it take longer for a user to feel the effects of an edible, the effects usually also last longer. And rather than feeling the effects cerebrally, edible highs are felt throughout the whole body.

The Little Book of Cannabis is available on October 17, 2018 from Greystone Books. The book features a foreword by Dr. Rav Ivker, a family doctor in Boulder, Colorado and the author of eight books, including Cannabis for Chronic Pain.