This is an engaging and accessible text that will appeal to scholars of religion, cultural studies, and science and medicine more broadly. Offering compelling and wide-ranging case studies, Partridge's study is an invaluable resource for understanding cannabis' contested status as sacred or profane across history, making it essential reading for any scholar at the intersection of religion and psychoactive substances.

Reading Religion

[The] book offers a cultural history of cannabis in the modern world, uncovering the underlying reasons for the varied and evolving attitudes toward this popular plant. Partridge's discussions reflect broader societal shifts regarding cannabis and its place in modern life, including evolving legal, cultural, and health perspectives.

Religious Studies Review

Christopher Partridge masterfully navigates the complex and multifaceted relations between cannabis and society across the ages. With meticulous research and an intriguing narrative, Partridge unveils the historical, cultural and scientific dimensions of cannabis, transcending conventional tales and stereotypes. If you want a refreshing perspective that challenges your preconceptions about cannabis, consciousness, the holy and the unholy, read on.

Mitch Earleywine, Professor of Psychology, University of Albany, USA