With legalization of recreational and medical marijuana expanding across the country, there is seemingly a new book out there for cannabis growers, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs of every level.
Marijuana Venture offers the following roundup of more than a dozen cannabis industry books that have made their way to our office since starting the magazine in 2014.
The Basics
This Bud’s For You (2017)
By Ed Rosenthal
224 pages, $26.95
The latest offering from Ed Rosenthal is aimed at highlighting and explaining the new trends in legal marijuana products, from CBD products to artisanal hash-making to scientific extraction methods. The book also offers tips and advice from breeders and experts on ways to compare strains and how dispensary buyers make their choices.
The book is divided into two sections. The first half is about the emerging trends, with sections written by industry insiders, including a chapter on “Women in Weed.” The second half, written by Rosenthal, features a detailed look at 50 of the hottest strains being grown, complete with close-ups of the buds being discussed.
The Big Book of Buds Greatest Hits (2016)
By Ed Rosenthal
248 pages, $24.95
Compiled by one of the most noteworthy and recognizable names in cannabis production, this paperback includes detailed descriptions of 95 of the most popular commercially available strains of marijuana. Each entry includes a close-up photo, descriptions of aroma and effects and details on cultivation, breeding and yield.
Each strain includes a description of the plant’s breeding, nation of origin and other details of the history and growing season. The entries include a list of colorful icons designed to give the basic details in a single glance.
In addition, sections on the science, smells, terpenes, trichomes and curing are spread throughout the book.
The Cannabis Manifesto (2015)
By Steve DeAngelo
240 pages, $18.95
Written by the founder of Harborside in Oakland, California — widely referred to as the world’s largest medical cannabis dispensary — this book presents the case for cannabis as a wellness catalyst that must be legalized and takes the view that there is no such thing as “recreational” cannabis. The book answers questions about the plant, using extensive research to discuss cannabis science and law, as well as its effects on humans.
Tips and Techniques
Marijuana Horticulture Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Guide to Cannabis Cultivation and Hashish Production (2016)
By K of Trichome Technologies
442 pages, $30
Filled with photos, this book covers the entirety of the growing process, from the basics of strain choice to setting up a grow — be it indoor, outdoor, greenhouse, soil, hydroponic or anything in between.
Beginning with germination and running all the way through harvest and beyond, the book includes advice on topics such as lighting, growing mediums, feeding, nutrient types, cloning and curing, as well as a chapter on common challenges like mold, mites and diseases, with images to detail every step of the process and troubleshoot problems.
The book concludes with a chapter on various hash-making techniques
True Living Organics: The Ultimate Guide to Growing All-Natural Marijuana Indoors (2nd Edition) (2016)
By The Rev
284 pages, $25
Beginning with an explanation as to what “true living organics” is, this second edition growing handbook from the longtime contributor for SKUNK magazine updates the previous version with new techniques for growing cannabis using organic methods. The book contains hundreds of photos detailing the process. It also has new soil-mix recipes, techniques on using “living water,” and recipes for nutrient teas and spikes.
The book includes tips on preparing your grow space, differences in lighting types and a chapter on troubleshooting. The book is easy to read and broken into many short sections, with each chapter containing multiple “Rev’s Tip” sections along with the basic advice.
Idiots Guides: Growing Marijuana (2016)
By Kevin Oliver and Chad McKeen
224 pages, $19.95
Packed with tips and techniques for growing a strong, healthy crop, the Idiots Guides: Growing Marijuana is designed to give the beginning grower all of the information they need to get started. The book contains a review of the history of cannabis, details on different marijuana varieties and the smoking properties of each. It includes advice on setting up both indoor and outdoor operation and offers guidance on growing from seeds, seedlings or clones as well as pruning, fertilizing and keeping plants healthy. There are additional sections on trimming, drying, curing and hash-making.
The book contains hundreds of full-color photographs and easy-to-read diagrams and drawings that walk a prospective grower through the entire process as well as a glossary of growing terms for those just getting started.
Marijuana Edibles: 40 Easy and Delicious Cannabis-Infused Desserts (2016)
By Laurie Wolf and Mary Thigpen
128 pages, $14.95
This small, hardcover cookbook was written by the owners of the award-winning Oregon-based cannabis bakery Laurie & MaryJane. It opens with a “crash course” in marijuana cooking, from an explanation of the differences between smoking and eating marijuana to recipes on making butter and oil extractions before launching into 40 recipes for different desserts.
The book offers instructions for cookies, pies, tarts, cakes, chocolates, candies and frozen desserts. It is packed with close-ups of each offering, including a step-by-step look at the initial infusion process, making it a handy addition to the kitchen of any cannabis cook.
The Cannabis Encyclopedia (2015)
By Jorge Cervantes
596 pages, $50
Written by one of the most recognizable names in the cannabis industry, Jorge Cervantes’ “Cannabis Encyclopedia” draws on decades of indoor, outdoor and greenhouse cultivation knowledge to deliver what the author calls “the definitive guide” to marijuana cultivation and consumption.
Packed with more than 2,000 images, the book walks readers through marijuana basics and then provides seed-to-smoke advice for potential growers including differences in lighting types, container size, air filtration, soil composition, nutrient explanations, diseases and pests, breeding and even post-harvest suggestions.
The book is easy to read and breaks down complicated concepts through simple graphics, charts and multiple photos.
Cannabis Regeneration: A Multiple Harvest Method for Greater Yields (2015)
By J.B. Haze
133 pages, $16
Described as “the first book to explain how to regenerate a harvested plant,” this paperback explains the technique, which reuses the roots of a cannabis plant to repeat harvests every 38 days from the same plant.
The easy-to-follow book has many close-up photographs detailing each step of the process, from preparation of the harvested plant through flowering and the second harvest. A final section on “advanced techniques” is also included following the description of the regeneration method.
The Essential Oil Maker’s Handbook (2015)
By Bettina Malle and Helge Schmickl (Translated by Paul Lehmann)
144 pages, $29.95
This beautiful, hardcover book was written by two Austrian scientists with master’s degrees in chemical engineering and doctorates in technical sciences. The husband-and-wife team have published previous books on the production of vinegar, distilled spirits and essential oils.
Though not specifically aimed at the cannabis industry, the handbook teaches the basic processes of making essential oils and hydrosols from plants. The book is filled with photos and diagrams detailing every step of the process, including a frequently asked questions section and a two-page harvest calendar of more than 50 different plants.
Beyond Buds: Marijuana Extracts (2014)
By Ed Rosenthal
230 pages, $24.95
The prolific Ed Rosenthal returns, this time with a book about alternate methods of cannabis consumption sweeping the industry, including vaping, dabbing and edibles. It includes chapters on making kief through manual and machine methods, water hash, advanced hash, vaporizers, butane extracts, CO2 extracts, tinctures, topicals and more.
The book is filled with photos detailing every step of the processes and includes informative appendixes with information on different terpenes and cannabinoids and their effects.
Beyond Buds also contains several simple recipes for making cannabutter and its uses.
Reference and Legal
Cannabis Benchmarks Annual Review & Outlook: 2016-2017
By New Leaf Data Services
71 pages, $129
This digital book identifies, calculates, charts and analyzes the variables that drove wholesale price movement throughout the past year and looks at the major trends likely to impact prices in 2017. Dominant trends in many markets last year included a continued drop in wholesale prices that was driven by an intensification in production, as well as a shifting supply mix that disrupted seasonal pricing trends.
The Annual Review & Outlook, put together by independent price reporting agency New Leaf Data Services, analyzes the prices and assesses the factors driving these changes. The book is filled with graphs and includes specific looks at the cannabis markets in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona, as well as a broader look at national trends.
Marijuana Licensing Reference Guide, 2017 Edition
Compiled by CannaBiz Media
143 pages, $395
This hardcover reference guide features comprehensive coverage of the latest state laws affecting the cannabis industry, including mandated operating licenses and financial structures, taxes and fees, qualifying medical conditions, patient cultivation rules, marketing, possession limits, local rules and more.
Each chapter contains tables and charts filled with comparative industry data and ends with a series of questions and considerations investors may want to ask when evaluating a marijuana license or business. There are also snapshot pages for every state in which medical or recreational marijuana is legal, detailing the basics of each state’s laws and regulations.
In addition, the guide identifies and covers in detail what it considers five key factors that affect growth in the marijuana business: volatility, trickle-down effect, innovation and growth, competition and accessibility.
Marijuana Business License Directory (2016)
By Marijuana Business Daily
560 pages, $799
This hefty book contains the license information for every state-licensed retailer, cultivator, processor and lab in the United States. Each entry contains the name, website, address, phone number and license number.
States included in the guide are Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. The book does not include information on states that have yet to begin licensing, like California or Michigan.
Marijuana Business Factbook 2016
By Marijuana Business Daily
248 pages, $249
The fourth edition of the Factbook, produced by the research team at Marijuana Business Daily, takes an updated look at the scope of the current cannabis industry, including in-depth financial data for different operational models in each sector, third-party data on pricing trends, regulatory and compliance issues and detailed profiles of each state that has legalized medical or recreational cannabis, plus Canada.
Aimed at investors and entrepreneurs, the spiral-bound book is filled with easy-to-read charts and graphs on topics ranging from a sampling of startup costs to per patient transaction amounts to the profitability of various infused products and everything in between.
The Marijuana Business Operations Guide (Starting, Growing and Going Public) (2015)
By Robert H. Carp, Esq.
344 pages, $99.95
Described as a “complete guide to getting in on the ground floor,” the Operations Guide is aimed at marijuana entrepreneurs just getting started in the industry. It includes sections on everything from writing articles of incorporation, developing a business plan, designing a dispensary, cultivation facility design, water- and power-saving tips, security and licensing intellectual property.
Designed like a textbook with only a handful of photos and charts, the book is packed with valuable information for people looking to join the industry and contains sample forms and agreements for nearly every eventuality.
Lost in the Weeds: An Introduction to Legal Issues for Business People Leading Cannabis Companies (2014)
By Ashby Law Group
270 pages, $42
Billed as a reference guide for Washington State recreational marijuana law, this book was written by lawyers in Bellevue, Washington, and serves as an overview of the legal requirements and regulations surrounding the state’s adult-use cannabis industry.
Included is a brief history of the state’s legalization efforts, a look at industry trends, dealing with both state and federal tax laws, working with state agencies, zoning concerns, security issues, environmental considerations and strategic planning, all viewed through the lens of legal representation.
The book also contains a series of “Industry Insights” sections, written by those already working in the cannabis space.
Profiles and Biographies
Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Women, Weed & Business (2017)
By Ashley Picillo with Lauren Devine
240 page, $14.95
Breaking the Grass Ceiling is a biographical collection featuring powerful, driven women who have been instrumental in paving the way for others in the cannabis industry. A total of 21 women from cannabis consulting, technology, dispensary operations, human resources, cultivation, scientific research, law, policy, advocacy and activism all share their triumphs, heartaches and words of wisdom from their time in the business.
The profiles are designed to reveal what happens when women persevere and fight for equality, respect and a voice at the top.
The Great Green Gold Rush (2017)
By Kathleen Tracy and Michael Caldwell
220 pages, $24.95
Where most of the cannabis books being released focus on the plant, Kathleen Tracy and Michael Caldwell focus on the people who make up the industry, telling the stories of 15 companies that have risen in the wake of the legalization movement.
With chapters on the Arcview Group, Cannaline Packaging, Forever Flower Greenhouses, a handful of law firms and Willie Nelson Reserve, among others, the book uses the personal stories of the companies and their founders to highlight the beginnings of a new industry and the risks taken by those at the forefront of the green rush.
Weed the People (2015)
400 pages, $29.95 hardcover; $15.95 paperback
Detailing the move to legalization in Washington and Colorado, this entertaining book about the emerging cannabis industry is a great look at the people, potential and problems making their way in the marijuana business.
The book reviews marijuana prohibition, the pros and cons of legalization and ways each of the states attempted to regulate the new business within their borders. Written by a professional journalist, the book is a fun, thoughtful and multi-faceted examination of the major cultural and economic shift currently happening throughout the country.
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