In their book, Green Rush, authors Daniel J. Mallinson and A. Lee Hannah present a comprehensive analysis of the legalization of cannabis in the United States. The authors trace political, social, and economic factors that resulted in the rapid shift from cannabis prohibition to acceptance, a phenomenon they call the “green rush’. They emphasize the importance of the states in this process which has resulted in legalized medical marijuana in thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia, with twenty-three permitting recreational use by 2023.
The book is divided into five chapters with the first examining the forces that led to the first acceptance of medical marijuana by California in 1996 and how the framing of medical marijuana changed over time so that its use became more palatable to increasingly conservative states. The second chapter deals with the adoption and diffusion of medical marijuana in the states, with special attention paid to the conflict with Federal Government and the role of the ballot initiative. In chapter three a comparative case study of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia shows how the implementation outcomes are shaped by the political environment, policy design, and resource constraints. Chapters four and five show the importance of feedback both in shaping the experience of states as they learn from each other as they introduce medical marijuana and then as they consider legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana.
Green Rush is a scholarly, well researched work and includes extensive footnotes, and two appendices with additional information. It considers many factors surrounding the acceptance of marijuana from public attitude to tax revenue, and social justice issues. The detailed accounts of the successes and problems of specific states as they went through the process of cannabis legalization provides insight into the complexity of the problem and an appreciation of the difficulties involved.
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