E.L. Abel - Böcker

Of all the plants men have ever grown, none has been praised and denounced as often as marihuana (Cannabis sativa). Throughout the ages, marihuana has been extolled as one of man's greatest benefactors­ and cursed as one of his greatest scourges. Marihuana is undoubtedly a herb that has been many things to many people. Armies and navies have used it to make war, men and women to make love. Hunters and fishermen have snared the most ferocious creatures, from the tiger to the shark, in its herculean weave. Fashion designers have dressed the most elegant women in its supple knit. Hangmen have snapped the necks of thieves and murderers with its fiber. Obstetricians have eased the pain of childbirth with its leaves. Farmers have crushed its seeds and used the oil within to light their lamps. Mourners have thrown its seeds into blazing fires and have had their sorrow transformed into blissful ecstasy by the fumes that filled the air. Marihuana has been known by many names: hemp, hashish, dagga, bhang, loco weed, grass-the list is endless. Formally christened Cannabis sativa in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, marihuana is one of nature's hardiest specimens. It needs little care to thrive. One need not talk to it, sing to it, or play soothing tranquil Brahms lullabies to coax it to grow. It is as vigorous as a weed. It is ubiquitous. It fluorishes under nearly every possible climatic condition.

The search for artificial means of enhancing sexual experience is timeless and can even be found in the opening passages of Genesis (3:7) where Adam and Eve discovered sex as they took a bi te of the forbidden fruit: "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. " While others may interpret the "opening of their eyes" as simply an awareness of male and femaleness, John Milton and others regarded the forbidden fruit as an aphrodisiac and in Paradise Lost, described in greater detail what happened: "But the false fruit For other operation first displayed Carnal desire infiarning. He on Eve Began to cast lascivious eyes; she hirn As wantonly repaid; in lust they burn. " Not only did Milton regard the "forbidden fruit" as an aphro­ disiac, he also identified it as an apple, and an apple it has re­ mained until this day. Sexual behavior has always been one of the most fascinating and attention-arresting activities in human history and there has been no decrease in the fascination and curiosity it still arouses in the human psyche. 1 2 Introduction As timeless as the topic of sexual behavior is that of aphro­ disiacs. For example, after the "forbidden fmit," the Bible specifi­ cally identified mandrake as an aphrodisiac (Genesis 30:14-17): "And Reuben went, in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah.

Most textbooks are cumbersome to carry, expensive to buy, difficult to read, and boring. They have no plot, no characterization, no suspense, no climax. What they have are facts. If Dragnet's Sgt. Friday were Scientist Friday, the script wouldn't be much different­ "just the facts, ma'am." Students can't escape textbooks. But like death and taxes, they are necessary evils. of old ideas makes room for new ones. Death makes room for new people and the death Taxes are the dues we pay to live in a country. Everybody gets stuck with paying some kind of dues and students are no exception. Students pay dues in the form of tuition to listen to professors lecture, and they also pay dues in what a former governor of California called' 'psychic bucks" -time, concentration, independent study, reading textbooks like this one-to come up with the correct answers to exam questions. Textbooks on economics will tell you about where our tuition bucks come from. This book is about where our psychic bucks come from and the forces that can bankrupt our psychic nest eggs.

I have written this book because I felt there was a need to bring together in one place the vast amount of research that has been published in the past 10 years concerning alcohol's effects on the conceptus. My hope is that this book will be of value to the many clinicians, basic research scientists, social workers, and others who are interested in this important issue. The number of such publications continues to grow each year, and it was a very difficult task to review even a proportion of them completely. While I have cited many of these research studies, only those that in my very subjective opinion warranted extended coverage were discussed. In this regard, much of my . ask was facilitated by the many excellent reviews that have already been written. To those whose important contributions have not been discussed or cited, I offer my sincere apologies. Omission of these publications in most cases reflects my own personal interests or awareness, rather than merit.

Of all the plants men have ever grown, none has been praised and denounced as often as marihuana (Cannabis sativa). Throughout the ages, marihuana has been extolled as one of man's greatest benefactors­ and cursed as one of his greatest scourges. Marihuana is undoubtedly a herb that has been many things to many people. Armies and navies have used it to make war, men and women to make love. Hunters and fishermen have snared the most ferocious creatures, from the tiger to the shark, in its herculean weave. Fashion designers have dressed the most elegant women in its supple knit. Hangmen have snapped the necks of thieves and murderers with its fiber. Obstetricians have eased the pain of childbirth with its leaves. Farmers have crushed its seeds and used the oil within to light their lamps. Mourners have thrown its seeds into blazing fires and have had their sorrow transformed into blissful ecstasy by the fumes that filled the air. Marihuana has been known by many names: hemp, hashish, dagga, bhang, loco weed, grass-the list is endless. Formally christened Cannabis sativa in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, marihuana is one of nature's hardiest specimens. It needs little care to thrive. One need not talk to it, sing to it, or play soothing tranquil Brahms lullabies to coax it to grow. It is as vigorous as a weed. It is ubiquitous. It fluorishes under nearly every possible climatic condition.