In this engaging and deeply felt book, Lester Grinspoon and James B. Bakalar make the case for legalization of marihuana from a medical point of view. Presenting the moving stories of people with diverse medical symptoms arising from a wide range of both physical and mental illnesses and/or conditions, they document the clear benefits obtained from the medical prescription of marihuana.

The circumstances in which marihuana use proves superior to conventional and approved treatments include: management of acute nausea consequent to chemotherapy; control of epileptic seizures; reduction of pressure for glaucoma patients; treatment for chronic pain syndromes; control of eruptions in severe skin disorders; and alleviation of stress and anxiety symptoms that commonly accompany chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis and other disabling neuro-muscular conditions. Because marihuana is