Note: G4 in no way condones marijuana use or any such illegal activity, nor do we encourage it. The following review is a public service for those who might be interested in researching such things.
If you’re looking for a source for all things 420, you can hardly do better than venerable pot-mag High Times, who have been chronicling the chronic in all its glory since 1974. So, when High Times decides to write a book called The Official High Times Pot Smoker's Handbook, odds are pretty good you’re looking at a recognized authority on the subject.
The powers-that-be at The Feed handed this book to me a couple of weeks ago, and asked me to do some “research” related to the contents within, so that I could accurately review it. So, armed with that “research,” I cracked the spine and took a look at the treasure trove of contents inside.
What I found was the sort of handbook you’d want to have around when you’re, um, incapacitated and short on ideas that make any sort of sense.
Movies to watch, from The Harder They Come to How High and music to listen to, from Cab Calloway’s immortal ‘Reefer Man’ to Bob Dylan’s stoner classic, ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & #35’ all on the topic of marijuana, are all there, in a compendium that makes you understand exactly why you should be listening to or watching them. Are you the kind of person who likes to bake while you bake? Would you like to make a little Peanut Butter Hash Fudge? Heading to a Phish show this weekend and looking to make some Goo Balls? The recipes you need are all there, with detailed, simple instructions for making them.
But The Official High Times Pot Smoker’s Handbook goes further than that, giving you a history of the plant and its medicinal use through the course of human history, as well as a guide to advocacy and activism relating to the wacky tobaccy, which is an enjoyable read as well as being pointed and informative.
The big ticket item, 420 things to do while stoned, is both funny and fun, and opens doors to all kinds of fun and interesting things that dispute the idea of the cannabis culture being lazy and lethargic. Whether it’s ‘grow a beard,’ ‘make s’mores,’ or ‘watch the Super Bowl…with a super bowl,’ you know you’re in for all kinds of fun with this stuff.
In all, author David Bienenstock and the editorial staff of High Times Magazine have compiled a fun book that’s more than a series of lists, it’s an interesting read and one that you’ll consult over and over again.
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