Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry - Softcover

“Cannabiz fully captures the vibrant and ever-evolving political and economic landscape of the budding medical marijuana industry. Geluardi accurately paints the City of Oakland as a leader in legitimizing the industry and as the Silicon Valley of cannabis.”
―Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember

“Cannabiz is politically informative and culturally astute. Geluardi paints a complex picture of a transitional moment―one in which the nation’s kneejerk anti-marijuana politics and criminal justice sanctions are falling out of favor. He shows how medical marijuana, a once outlandish idea, has become mainstream, and how quickly America’s economic and political culture has adapted to this new reality.”
―Sasha Abramsky, Inside Obama’s Brain and Breadline USA

“After decades of marijuana demonization, John Geluardi presents a new paradigm: not only can cannabis medical research and public policy advance, but the cannabis industry can experience a rebirth like that of the Hemp for Freedom days of World War II. As America builds a green-jobs economy, Geluardi’s book is a must read.”
―Jim Gonzalez, former San Francisco Supervisor; Co-campaign Manager, Prop 215

“The truth will set us free! John Geluardi helps us understand the future of cannabis by providing a more balanced and sane perspective than ‘Reefer Madness.’ This book offers a historical review, makes a strong case for medical use, and outlines the opportunities and challenges of legalization―an immense step forward in the conversation.”
―The Rev. Mary Moreno Richardson, Leadership Council for Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative

“Like it or not, and as Geluardi’s book convincingly shows, medical marijuana is now mainstream―as it should be, because medical science continues to reveal how it successfully combats an increasing number of maladies and diseases.”
―Judge James P. Gray (Ret.), A Voter’s Handbook: Effective Solutions to America’s Problems

Cannabiz tells one the most important political and business stories of our generation: the transformation of a counterculture movement into a growth industry with staggering potential. Charting the rise of medical marijuana in California and 14 other states, award-winning journalist John Geluardi vividly recounts the movement’s early activism, its legal challenges and victories, and its emergence as a commercial and political force.
Tracing the history of marijuana in the United States, Cannabiz also reports on the industry’s key players, political allies and opponents, internal strife, and audacious aspirations―including a 2010 ballot initiative to legalize the adult use of marijuana in California. Along the way, Geluardi describes local efforts to regulate dispensaries, ranging from workable ordinances in some cities to bureaucratic paralysis in Los Angeles, where dispensaries came to outnumber McDonalds franchises. He also reports on efforts in Humboldt County, the heartland of marijuana cultivation, to keep pot illegal―and prices high.
Adroitly profiling this unique industry, Cannabiz tells a distinctively American story―one whose colorful characters and fascinating details evoke Prohibition and the Gold Rush.