MARIJUANA ON MY MIND
The Science and Mystique of Cannabis
Marijuana is on everyone’s mind.
Why do so many people enjoy it? What is it doing in our brains? Is it safe for everyone to use? What should we be telling our children? What are the benefits of medical marijuana? Do CBD products live up to the hype? Does marijuana have spiritual power? And with so much conflicting information out there, how do we begin to make up our own minds about cannabis?
Marijuana on My Mind is for anyone who has ever experienced the mystique of cannabis or wondered exactly how cannabis works. With[TC2] over 40 years of clinical experience, Dr Timmen Cermak uses science to make sense of the endless debate between advocates and opponents of cannabis and provides answers to some of the greatest mysteries surrounding marijuana.
“This is a fascinating account […] the various effects of cannabis, both good and bad are covered in a uniquely personal narrative that is both enjoyable and educational at the same time.” – David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacolgy at Imperial College in London and author of Cannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health[TC3]
“We needed a good, balanced, sensible and accessible book about cannabis and the brain, and here we have it.” – David Castle, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada and author of Marijuana and Madness.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword page – xv
1. THE SCIENCE AND MYSTIQUE OF CANNABIS – 1
2 THE PLANT, ITS HISTORY, AND ITS PRODUCTS – 15
3. THE BRAIN AND ITS NATURAL CANNABINOID CHEMISTRY – 30
4. THE PLANT’S IMPACT ON THE BRAIN AND EXPERIENCE – 46
5. PUTTING CANNABIS IN PERSPECTIVE – 63
6. CANNABIS CULTURE AND SPIRITUALITY – 80
7. MEDICAL CANNABIS, PART I: CANNABINOIDS WITH STRONG SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE – 100
8. MEDICAL CANNABIS, PART II: CANNABINOIDS WITH PRELIMINARY
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE – 119
9. MEDICAL CANNABIS, PART III: CBD FACTS, FADS, AND POSSIBILITIES – 139
10. WHEN CANNABINOID RECEPTORS DISAPPEAR – 157
11 . WHEN ADDICTION HIJACKS THE BRAIN’S REWARD SYSTEM 173
12. ADOLESCENTS AND CANNABIS 191
13. FURTHER CONSEQUENCES OF USING CANNABIS TOO FREQUENTLY – 218
14. TREATMENT AND RECOVERY – 240
15. PUBLIC HEALTH AND POLITICS – 267
EPILOGUE: THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS – 283
Acknowledgments – 299 Glossary – 301 Further Reading – 308 Figure Sources – 313 Index
The Science and Mystique of Cannabis
Marijuana is on everyone’s mind.
Why do so many people enjoy it? What is it doing in our brains? Is it safe for everyone to use? What should we be telling our children? What are the benefits of medical marijuana? Do CBD products live up to the hype? Does marijuana have spiritual power? And with so much conflicting information out there, how do we begin to make up our own minds about cannabis?
Marijuana on My Mind is for anyone who has ever experienced the mystique of cannabis or wondered exactly how cannabis works. With[TC2] over 40 years of clinical experience, Dr Timmen Cermak uses science to make sense of the endless debate between advocates and opponents of cannabis and provides answers to some of the greatest mysteries surrounding marijuana.
“This is a fascinating account […] the various effects of cannabis, both good and bad are covered in a uniquely personal narrative that is both enjoyable and educational at the same time.” – David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacolgy at Imperial College in London and author of Cannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health[TC3]
“We needed a good, balanced, sensible and accessible book about cannabis and the brain, and here we have it.” – David Castle, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada and author of Marijuana and Madness.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword page – xv
1. THE SCIENCE AND MYSTIQUE OF CANNABIS – 1
2 THE PLANT, ITS HISTORY, AND ITS PRODUCTS – 15
3. THE BRAIN AND ITS NATURAL CANNABINOID CHEMISTRY – 30
4. THE PLANT’S IMPACT ON THE BRAIN AND EXPERIENCE – 46
5. PUTTING CANNABIS IN PERSPECTIVE – 63
6. CANNABIS CULTURE AND SPIRITUALITY – 80
7. MEDICAL CANNABIS, PART I: CANNABINOIDS WITH STRONG SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE – 100
8. MEDICAL CANNABIS, PART II: CANNABINOIDS WITH PRELIMINARY
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE – 119
9. MEDICAL CANNABIS, PART III: CBD FACTS, FADS, AND POSSIBILITIES – 139
10. WHEN CANNABINOID RECEPTORS DISAPPEAR – 157
11 . WHEN ADDICTION HIJACKS THE BRAIN’S REWARD SYSTEM 173
12. ADOLESCENTS AND CANNABIS 191
13. FURTHER CONSEQUENCES OF USING CANNABIS TOO FREQUENTLY – 218
14. TREATMENT AND RECOVERY – 240
15. PUBLIC HEALTH AND POLITICS – 267
EPILOGUE: THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS – 283
Acknowledgments – 299 Glossary – 301 Further Reading – 308 Figure Sources – 313 Index
Media Kit Downloads:
| biography-short.doc |
| biography-long.doc |
| cv___timmen_cermak_md.pdf |
About Dr. Cermak
Dr. Cermak grew up in northeastern Ohio, received a BA in philosophy from Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated from Case Western Reserve Medical School in 1972. After two years as a general practitioner in the Indian Health Service, he completed a psychiatry residence at Stanford University Medical Center. He then served three years as medical director of the inpatient drug and alcohol unit at the San Francisco Veterans Hospital before entering private practice of addiction psychiatry in San Francisco and Marin County, California for the next four decades. He recently retired from clinical practice in order to devote more time to writing.
Dr. Cermak founded and chaired the Marijuana Task Force for the California Society of Addiction Medicine in 1996. His first book on cannabis – Marijuana: What’s a Parent to Believe?, Hazelden, 2003 – is currently being updated to a second edition and will be released under the title What Parents Need to Know About Marijuana later in 2022. He chaired the Youth Work Group for then Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy, which contributed to the framework for California’s Prop 64 legalizing the nonmedical use of cannabis by adults in 2016. He has served on the state’s Cannabis Advisory Committee since its inception. From Bud to Brain: A Psychiatrist’s View of Marijuana (Cambridge University Press, 2020) summarized the science of cannabis for health professionals and educators with extensive references to provide the research evidence needed to answer patients’ questions with the latest objective, relevant information.
He is now excited to bring the science of cannabis to the general public in Marijuana on My Mind: The Science and Mystique of Cannabis. This new book strikes a balance between the scientific facts about cannabis’s interaction with the brain and the subjective experience of cannabis users, including the important personal meanings, often spiritual, attributed to cannabis. By listening with genuine curiosity and respect to peoples’ personal experience, Dr. Cermak bridges the gulf existing between the scientific perspective and what he describes as the Cannabis Culture’s perspective.
Recent Books
Click on image to see descriptions of each
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Contact Dr. Cermak for media and general inquiries
Endorsements
“Beautifully written and cogently argued, Marijuana on My Mind interweaves the science and spirituality of cannabis in a book I that would recommend to patients, scientists, students, religious leaders, and anyone wanting to learn more about the science of cannabis, its impact on the human body, and its ramifications for the body politic. A fascinating read from a world expert.”
- Anna Lembke, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.
“This is a fascinating account, or rather series of accounts, of cannabis – both medical and recreational – written from the perspective of a doctor with extensive clinical experience. The various effects of cannabis, both good and bad, are covered in a uniquely personal narrative that is both enjoyable and educational at the same time.”
- David Nutt FMedSci, author of Cannabis (Seeing Through the
Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health. Psychiatrist and Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. “We needed a good, balanced, sensible and accessible book about cannabis and the brain, and here we have it. This book will help people understand the promise of cannabis as medicine, but also be aware of the potential dangers, particularly for the developing brain and for people with a predisposition to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Readers will also appreciate that the hype about cannabis is not always backed up by the science, and that there is never a panacea for maladies of the mind”.
- David Castle, author of Marijuana and Madness, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
“In Marijuana on My Mind, the descriptor ‘the science and mystique of cannabis’ is aptly added to the title. To attempt to explain both the science of cannabinoids and touch upon the magic of this important plant would dissuade most from trying but Dr Cermak skillfully overcomes these challenges. This book is both enjoyable to read and also filled with information and interesting anecdotes that the lay public and the mental health clinician urgently need to understand. The first six chapters brilliantly lay the necessary scientific foundation to understand the cannabinoid systems. The next three chapters then tackle the important but frequently misunderstood topic of medical cannabis. Readers will especially appreciate Dr Cermak organizing the scientific evidence into strong and preliminary categories and spending time to visit the important topic of CBD. The final chapter introduces timely topics of interest and controversy for anyone interested in the science and public health implications of the uses of cannabis.”
- Steven James, Pharmaceutical Physician Executive
“Cermak has long been a student of cannabis and cannabinoids and has translated what he has learned into very readable texts. He is an excellent, clear writer – a wonderful teacher. He has also been a colleague of mine within professional societies, helping the California Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine develop evidence-based policy positions on cannabis. In Marijuana on My Mind, he uses his usual comfortable style of writing to share scientific detail as well as personal impressions from years of work as a psychiatrist, treating patients with addiction and others, and treating patients who have offered him their self reports of their own use of cannabis and cannabinoids. His chapters on CBD are some of the most balanced and informative I have read. I have recommended Tim’s previous books and I highly recommend this one.”
- Michael M. Miller, MD, DFASAM, DLFAPA, Past President, Amer Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
"Marijuana on My Mind by Dr Timmen Cermak provides an honest, realistic, and personable account of cannabis. Dr Cermak skillfully and artfully combines history, society, science, and storytelling to explain how and why cannabis affects the mind, brain, and body. He provides a balanced perspective devoid of scare tactics, explaining the health effects of cannabis while also explaining the beneficial role that medical marijuana may have on some people struggling with various medical conditions. He also gives a wonderful explanation of addiction, and addresses the stigma of addiction. This book is perfect for adolescents, families, educators, healthcare clinicians, and anyone else interested in truly understand how and why cannabis affects the human body.”
- Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Founder and Executive Director, Cannabis Awareness and Prevention Toolkit
“Marijuana on My Mind provides an authoritative yet entertaining and readable guide to understanding cannabis, the most controversial plant of modern times. Beginning with a history of the discovery of the psychoactive effects of cannabis, Cermak dives deep into explicating how cannabis works on the brain, both how it produces the experience of being ‘high’ and sets the stage for the consequences of over-use, including addiction. The culture and mystique surrounding cannabis use are addressed, as are its established and potential medical uses, with a constant eye on separating fact from fiction. Particular attention is paid to the problem of the misuse or overuse of cannabis, including how to spot it, the underlying brain changes that lead to addiction, and the long-term consequences of use, as well as recovery from dependence on cannabis. The story of cannabis is told in a lively and engaging way, replete with numerous personal, clinical, and historical anecdotes, and illustrated with abundant pictures, figures, graphs, and charts. This book is now the most definitive one on cannabis available to the general population, and is highly recommended for anyone interested in an objective, scientific account of the effects of cannabis on human behavior.” - Kim T. Mueser, PhD, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Professor of Occupational Therapy and Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
- Anna Lembke, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.
“This is a fascinating account, or rather series of accounts, of cannabis – both medical and recreational – written from the perspective of a doctor with extensive clinical experience. The various effects of cannabis, both good and bad, are covered in a uniquely personal narrative that is both enjoyable and educational at the same time.”
- David Nutt FMedSci, author of Cannabis (Seeing Through the
Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health. Psychiatrist and Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. “We needed a good, balanced, sensible and accessible book about cannabis and the brain, and here we have it. This book will help people understand the promise of cannabis as medicine, but also be aware of the potential dangers, particularly for the developing brain and for people with a predisposition to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Readers will also appreciate that the hype about cannabis is not always backed up by the science, and that there is never a panacea for maladies of the mind”.
- David Castle, author of Marijuana and Madness, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
“In Marijuana on My Mind, the descriptor ‘the science and mystique of cannabis’ is aptly added to the title. To attempt to explain both the science of cannabinoids and touch upon the magic of this important plant would dissuade most from trying but Dr Cermak skillfully overcomes these challenges. This book is both enjoyable to read and also filled with information and interesting anecdotes that the lay public and the mental health clinician urgently need to understand. The first six chapters brilliantly lay the necessary scientific foundation to understand the cannabinoid systems. The next three chapters then tackle the important but frequently misunderstood topic of medical cannabis. Readers will especially appreciate Dr Cermak organizing the scientific evidence into strong and preliminary categories and spending time to visit the important topic of CBD. The final chapter introduces timely topics of interest and controversy for anyone interested in the science and public health implications of the uses of cannabis.”
- Steven James, Pharmaceutical Physician Executive
“Cermak has long been a student of cannabis and cannabinoids and has translated what he has learned into very readable texts. He is an excellent, clear writer – a wonderful teacher. He has also been a colleague of mine within professional societies, helping the California Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine develop evidence-based policy positions on cannabis. In Marijuana on My Mind, he uses his usual comfortable style of writing to share scientific detail as well as personal impressions from years of work as a psychiatrist, treating patients with addiction and others, and treating patients who have offered him their self reports of their own use of cannabis and cannabinoids. His chapters on CBD are some of the most balanced and informative I have read. I have recommended Tim’s previous books and I highly recommend this one.”
- Michael M. Miller, MD, DFASAM, DLFAPA, Past President, Amer Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
"Marijuana on My Mind by Dr Timmen Cermak provides an honest, realistic, and personable account of cannabis. Dr Cermak skillfully and artfully combines history, society, science, and storytelling to explain how and why cannabis affects the mind, brain, and body. He provides a balanced perspective devoid of scare tactics, explaining the health effects of cannabis while also explaining the beneficial role that medical marijuana may have on some people struggling with various medical conditions. He also gives a wonderful explanation of addiction, and addresses the stigma of addiction. This book is perfect for adolescents, families, educators, healthcare clinicians, and anyone else interested in truly understand how and why cannabis affects the human body.”
- Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Founder and Executive Director, Cannabis Awareness and Prevention Toolkit
“Marijuana on My Mind provides an authoritative yet entertaining and readable guide to understanding cannabis, the most controversial plant of modern times. Beginning with a history of the discovery of the psychoactive effects of cannabis, Cermak dives deep into explicating how cannabis works on the brain, both how it produces the experience of being ‘high’ and sets the stage for the consequences of over-use, including addiction. The culture and mystique surrounding cannabis use are addressed, as are its established and potential medical uses, with a constant eye on separating fact from fiction. Particular attention is paid to the problem of the misuse or overuse of cannabis, including how to spot it, the underlying brain changes that lead to addiction, and the long-term consequences of use, as well as recovery from dependence on cannabis. The story of cannabis is told in a lively and engaging way, replete with numerous personal, clinical, and historical anecdotes, and illustrated with abundant pictures, figures, graphs, and charts. This book is now the most definitive one on cannabis available to the general population, and is highly recommended for anyone interested in an objective, scientific account of the effects of cannabis on human behavior.” - Kim T. Mueser, PhD, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Professor of Occupational Therapy and Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
