Finally, a Marijuana Book by Somebody Who Gets It

David Schmader is a bona fide marijuana user (I've smoked with him more than once) and his book Weed: The User's Guide is short, breezy and hilarious … because he gets it.

Schmader was an editor at the Stranger – Seattle's notoriously pot-friendly Pulitzer Prize winning alt-weekly – and his writing here is reminiscent of some of their funnier and more honest bits: Back to school specials that talked of date rape and how to score drugs … stand alone marijuana “green guides” full of frank information about the safety and legality of weed.

A chapter for newbies called “IF YOU'RE HIGH AND DON'T LIKE IT” would have been helpful for pot-clueless New York Times pundit Maureen Dowd when she overdosed on cannabis edibles a couple years back and had a freak-out. And yes, Weed: A User's Guide is a great resource for the uninitiated. All the basics are covered here: the legality, how to roll a joint, “how to kill stink fast with a vinegar rag.” Still, the book is funny enough to keep veteran know-it-all stoners like myself engaged.

The section about DEALING WITH DEALERS is helpful: realistic about the fact that pot is still illegal in most places. “De-seeding your weed” was written for people unfortunate enough to not live in Seattle – we haven't seen a seed since 1978.

Schmader is honest about edibles, warning that a high lasts “BETWEEN FIVE AND NINE HOURS,” which is his gentle way of suggesting that edibles are not for everyone.

The refreshing message of Weed: A User's Guide – don't deny yourself pleasure because someone else tells you it's wrong or bad. The book is an unapologetic “21st Century Handbook for Enjoying Marijuana” with no “I'm curious about pot so let's study it” sociological bullshit – just an honest dose of “try it, you might like it.” Schmader's message is that a consensual crime (illegal activities that don't harm others, like using marijuana) should not be a crime at all, even if people have been telling you otherwise your whole life. It's gonna be a great century.

-Alex R. Mayer