Reefer Madness

Did you know you could get life in prison for possession of one ounce of marijuana but murder someone and get parole after two years? Or that the living conditions of illegal immigrant laborers in California are worse than what Steinbeck described in The Grapes of Wrath? Or that the consumption of pornography declines when obscenity laws are abolished?

I just finished reading Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser. It's a collection of three essays: one about marijuana; one about illegal immigrant labor; and another about the rise of pornography in America.

The writing is excellent. Schlosser does a great job of presenting the facts and letting them persuade you—rather than just coming right out and telling you what he thinks. It's investigative reporting at its best.

If you have an interest in social studies and social issues, I highly recommend Reefer Madness. (Note: Schlosser also wrote Fast Food Nation, another book I really enjoyed.)

Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market