Reefer Madness: The History of Marijuana in America is a book by Larry "Ratso" Sloman, originally published in 1979.[1] The book is a history of social cannabis (also known as marijuana) use in the United States. The book was reissued in 1998 with an introduction by William S. Burroughs.
 First edition | |
| Author | Larry Sloman |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Bobbs-Merrill |
Publication date | 1979 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 404 |
| ISBN | 0-672-52423-6 |
| LC Class | HV5822.M3 S54 |
Reception
editWriter Abe Peck gave Reefer Madness a mostly negative review, writing, "Sloman knows what he's talking about; the problem is that he presents his material as a multistyled hash of unsifted information. [...] [H]is reporting is so skeletal you can still see the ribs of a book outline poking through his prose."[2]
The Boston Globe's Lee Grove criticized the book for its pro-cannabis bias and selection of interviewees, whom Grove describes as "[Sloman's] boring pothead friends", while also noting, "I would have expected Sloman to interview at least one major rock star smoking in the seventies – he alludes to so many of them in the book – but he doesn't."[3]
Larry King of Democrat and Chronicle referred to the book as an "exercise in futility", criticizing a lack of details and statistics: "Sloman consistently fails to include any body of information that might lend some credibility to his subtitle, with its claim to be a 'history.' The book reeks of haste and sloppiness."[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "High Times Greats: Larry "Ratso" Sloman". High Times. July 9, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ Peck, Abe (April 29, 1979). "Some publishers try to score with drug scene". The Lincoln Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. p. 15TV. Retrieved July 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Grove, Lee (February 11, 1979). "Marijuana history one toke over the line". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. A11. Retrieved July 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ King, Larry (February 25, 1979). "Getting low on pot history". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. p. 2G. Retrieved July 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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