Review: The Marijuana Chronicles edited by Jonathan Santlofer

The Marijuana Chronicles contains 12 short stories, 1 comic, 2 poems, and 2 nonfiction essays by 17 different authors including the editor. There are other notable names in the table of contents such as Lee Child and Joyce Carol Oates.

The introduction includes a brief history to marijuana or cannabis or hemp or whatever you want to call it. It's interesting reading using facts from ancient history right up to modern times. Among other interesting facts, "The National Commission on Marijuana Drug Abuse released a 1972 study urging the decriminalization of smoking pot in the privacy of one's own home, but Nixon disregarded it, and created the DEA..."

The stories vary in tone and how they handle the topic of marijuana. One of my favorite lines in the anthology comes from "The Last Toke" by Jonathan Santlofer. "...riding the wave of a pot cloud so potent the squirrels were getting stoned." The piece by Lee Child, "My First Drug Trial," is definitely a standout in the anthology. For me another favorite was "No Smoking" by Edward M. Gomez where the lead character seems unsure just what is getting him high. You'll have to read it to see.

I liked the anthology, but I expected more from it; more variety among the pieces as to the attitude towards marijuana. Overall I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in order to provide my unbiased opinion.