Cannabis Use and Dependence : Public Health and Public Policy (Hardcover)

List of figures and tables; Foreword Peter Reuter; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; Section 1. Cannabis the Drug and How it is Used: 2. Cannabis the drug; 3. Patterns of use; Section 2. The Health Effects of Cannabis: 4. The acute effects of cannabis; 5. The cellular, immunological and reproductive effects of chronic cannabis use; 6. The cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal effects of chronic cannabis use; Section 3. The Psychological Effects of Chronic Cannabis Use: 7. Cannabis dependence; 8. The effects of cannabis use on cognitive functioning; 9. Cannabis use and psychotic disorders; Section 4. Effects on Adolescent Development: 10. Is cannabis a gateway drug?; 11. Adolescent psychosocial outcomes; Section 5. Harms and Benefits of Cannabis Use: 12. Comparing the health effects of cannabis with alcohol and tobacco; 13. The benefits of cannabis use; Section 6. The Effectiveness and Costs of Cannabis Prohibition: 14. The impact of prohibition on cannabis use; 15. The monetary cost of enforcing prohibition; 16. Other costs of cannabis prohibition; Section 7. Policy Alternatives: 17. Variations on prohibition; 18. Cannabis as a legal substance; 19. Summing up; Appendices; References; Index.