08/22/2016 Dolce, former editor-in-chief of Details and Star, guides readers around the changing world of marijuana culture. Employing aspects of travel narrative, pop history, journalism, and personal diary, Dolce provides a wide-ranging introduction to the drug, aiming to refute stereotypes and showcase the many ways in which people interact with marijuana. These range from recreational fun, as showcased in his coverage of the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, to pain relief and even healing, as demonstrated by research he cites into cannabis’s potential for mitigating traumatic brain injuries. As might be expected from a book about pot, the focus is soft and the narrative meandering, moving from profiling different types of cannabis users, to connecting the chemistry of cannabis to that of the brain, to diagnosing the growing pains of an underground market as it becomes regulated and mainstream. Dolce is a genial and engaging narrator with a knack for breaking down complex science and making it easily digestible for laypeople. The book will likely prove popular with cannabis enthusiasts, and it will surprise and entertain the general reader, even if, at times, the excessive detail feels in need of pruning. (Oct.)
One of the most fascinating accounts of the state of marijuana. A charming, honest look into pot’s past—and what that says about its future.” — Rolling Stone
“Employing aspects of travel narrative, pop history, journalism, and personal diary, Dolce is a genial and engaging narrator with a knack for breaking down complex science and making it easily digestible for laypeople. Brave New Weed will prove popular with cannabis enthusiasts, and will surprise and entertain the general reader.” — Publishers Weekly
“An outstanding book.” — Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, award-winning Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Hebrew University, and the grandfather of cannabis research
“An expansively researched book that finds the author trekking from Amsterdam to Israel to Colorado to craft an up-to-the-minute portrait of the past and future of cannabis.” — Stranger
“No matter where you fall on the cannabis debate, this book will surprise you, intrigue you, and make you think. Brave New Weed provides a fresh perspective and demonstrates just how little we know about this ubiquitous, multifaceted, and ancient plant.” — Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Mind Over Meds: How to Protect Yourself from Overmedication by Knowing When Drugs Are Necessary and When Alternatives May Be Better
“The ultimate ‘Just Say Yes!’ book. I got a contact high from reading it.” — John Waters
“Part travelogue, part cultural inquiry, part state-of-the-art scientific and medical survey, Joe Dolce’s engaging and entertaining book provides an image makeover for cannabis that’s long overdue.” — Dr. Julie Holland, author of Moody Bitches and editor of The Pot Book
“A fresh, clear-eyed, and lucidly reported travel guide to the rapidly expanding American subcontinent of medical and not-so-medical marijuana. Dolce is our de Tocqueville for Weed 2.0.” — Brad Gooch, author of Smash Cut
“A superb book, Brave New Weed delivers a sharp, funny, incredibly interesting assessment of modern cannabis. A terrific writer, Dolce examines the scientists and the quacks, the heroes and the hucksters, the cops and the crooks converging in the great game of marijuana.” — Michael Backes, author of Cannabis Pharmacy, The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana
“A thoroughly enjoyable and highly informative romp through the politics, science, industry and culture of cannabis.” — Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance
“Brave New Weed , a loving rethink of all things marijuana, is likely to be a trusted hitchhiker’s guide to this new universe.” — New York Times Book Review
“Fresh, engaging, and thoughtful…The finely-tuned prose is infused with a marvelous sense of curiosity and in-depth journalism. Dolce won me over immediately and held my attention from one page to the next, following him around the world as he explored the past, present and future of cannabis…An engaging, worthwhile read no matter what side of the cannabis argument you happen to be on.” — Green Flower
“Dolce weaves a fascinating tale of the twisted history—and even more twisted pretzel logic—behind marijuana prohibition…Equal parts travelogue, existential discovery and historical exegesis…A well-spun narrative and a damn fun, breezy read about the ubiquitous weed…Dolce writes with clarity and expertise about the plant and its utility to mankind.” — The Fresh Toast
“Best book on marijuana I’ve read in forever! Brave New Weed is a must read...his coverage of all the research on the endocannabinoid system that’s been done in Israel (weed sci capital of the world) alone is amazing.” — Steven Kotler
An outstanding book.
The ultimate ‘Just Say Yes!’ book. I got a contact high from reading it.
A fresh, clear-eyed, and lucidly reported travel guide to the rapidly expanding American subcontinent of medical and not-so-medical marijuana. Dolce is our de Tocqueville for Weed 2.0.
A superb book, Brave New Weed delivers a sharp, funny, incredibly interesting assessment of modern cannabis. A terrific writer, Dolce examines the scientists and the quacks, the heroes and the hucksters, the cops and the crooks converging in the great game of marijuana.
An expansively researched book that finds the author trekking from Amsterdam to Israel to Colorado to craft an up-to-the-minute portrait of the past and future of cannabis.
No matter where you fall on the cannabis debate, this book will surprise you, intrigue you, and make you think. Brave New Weed provides a fresh perspective and demonstrates just how little we know about this ubiquitous, multifaceted, and ancient plant.
A thoroughly enjoyable and highly informative romp through the politics, science, industry and culture of cannabis.
Part travelogue, part cultural inquiry, part state-of-the-art scientific and medical survey, Joe Dolce’s engaging and entertaining book provides an image makeover for cannabis that’s long overdue.
One of the most fascinating accounts of the state of marijuana. A charming, honest look into pot’s past—and what that says about its future.
Dolce weaves a fascinating tale of the twisted history—and even more twisted pretzel logic—behind marijuana prohibition…Equal parts travelogue, existential discovery and historical exegesis…A well-spun narrative and a damn fun, breezy read about the ubiquitous weed…Dolce writes with clarity and expertise about the plant and its utility to mankind.
Best book on marijuana I’ve read in forever! Brave New Weed is a must read...his coverage of all the research on the endocannabinoid system that’s been done in Israel (weed sci capital of the world) alone is amazing.
Brave New Weed , a loving rethink of all things marijuana, is likely to be a trusted hitchhiker’s guide to this new universe.
New York Times Book Review
Fresh, engaging, and thoughtful…The finely-tuned prose is infused with a marvelous sense of curiosity and in-depth journalism. Dolce won me over immediately and held my attention from one page to the next, following him around the world as he explored the past, present and future of cannabis…An engaging, worthwhile read no matter what side of the cannabis argument you happen to be on.
I’ve always avoided cannabis—watch enough ‘dance moves’ at your rock icon dad’s concerts and you’d avoid the stuff, too. But Joe Dolce has opened my mind to the heart and horticulture of the herb in his pot page-turner. Pellucid science and story. I now want to heal from and exploit it in every way. HIGH-ly recommended.
Brave New Weed is a delightful, even joyous, book, filled with fascinating information about the expanding world of new strains, higher strengths, and tasty means of ingestion. Still, it left me feeling regretful about all the years and lives wasted by prohibition-and all the people in pain who remain without help because of archaic laws. Dolce has given us a major brief in the fight for legalization.
2016-08-03 A journey through the “brave new—and yet at the same time, ancient—world” of weed.The former editor of Details and Star magazines and founder and CEO of a media training company in New York, Dolce ends his author bio by stating he is “not a stoner,” and the final chapter describes how he made it through a month without weed relatively painlessly (though his alcohol consumption increased markedly). The rest of the book suggests that he is a staunch advocate for the medicinal and recreational uses of cannabis. Dolce makes a convincing case that marijuana should not be classified as a Schedule 1 drug—a drug with the highest potential for abuse—and argues that it would be much easier to conduct scientific tests of the drug if it were reclassified. He discusses the workings of the two key chemical compounds of the drug, THC and CBD, and suggests that growers in the last few decades have been selectively breeding for THC, which makes the experience of getting high a less mellow one. Now that marijuana is legal in several states, however, growers are reformulating their product to achieve various ends. The author’s travels took him to Amsterdam, which he found disappointingly old-fashioned; Israel, which “has twenty thousand human subjects participating in the world’s largest state-run medical cannabis program”; Northern California, where a medical marijuana club meets at a senior community center; and Colorado, where “budtenders” at dispensaries educate their customers on “the contrast between great and average marijuana.” In an appendix, Dolce clearly sums up his advice for potential consumers, including tips on “cannabis for inspiration, intimacy, and other adult pleasures” and directives regarding inhalation methods, edibles, and sharing etiquette. While the book is best taken with a certain amount of skepticism, it offers an entertaining and informative overview of the latest changes in cannabis production and consumption.