A professor of pharmacology at Rouen University, Jean Costentin is a member of France’s National Academies of Medicine and of Pharmacy. He heads the National Centre for the Prevention, Study and Research of Addiction (CNPERT).

Cannabis has invaded our society. The number of users has become so high that the phenomenon now seems irreversible, leading many to argue in favour of legalisation.
Although the author concedes that there are many arguments, especially social ones, in favour of legalisation he enumerates many more that are untrustworthy: denying that cannabis is a drug, covering up its harmful effects, pretending it is a medication, resorting to economic arguments, etc.
A pharmacologist with a long commitment to prevention, Professor Jean Costentin reviews here all the reasons for maintaining prohibition. His argument is backed by recent, often concealed, neurobiological, clinical and epidemiological findings and he argues that legalising cannabis would not just be misguided — it would be positively dangerous!

• Besides dealing with a significant social issue, this book demonstrates that smoking pot is not harmless.
• Essential scientific, medical and pharmacological information that will stimulate discussion.
• Should we ignore the dangers of cannabis, particularly for the very young, simply because illegal drug trafficking and the relative failure to effectively enforce prohibitive drug laws tend to destabilise certain neighbourhoods?