While the legal cannabis industry may be relatively new, books have been a holiday gift-giving tradition for centuries. Giving a friend or loved one a book means you know them and their interests and want to help them explore those interests. Whether the person you’re shopping for is new to using cannabis or a seasoned pro, there are many compelling books to help them continue learning, implement self-care practices, or even just understand the etiquette of cannabis. These are some of our favorites.
A Woman's Guide to Cannabis
Written by cannabis lawyer Nikki Furrer, “A Woman’s Guide to Cannabis” is an informative exploration of cannabis for the ladies. Whether you’re young or old, new to cannabis or a pro, this book is a supportive guide to help patients navigate medical cannabis and use it to treat severe/chronic pain or any of the other qualifying conditions listed on the MMCC website. She also gives you tips on how to boost your mood, relieve aches and pains, get restful sleep, and even lose weight.
This book breaks down how to navigate the many options available at your local dispensary, from concentrates to edibles and vape pens, and teaches you how to unlock the benefits of cannabis. She even teaches you how to not experience certain effects of cannabis, but still get all the benefits of cannabis. “A Woman’s Guide to Cannabis” also includes great recipes, from her “Netflix and Chill Caramels” to self-care products like Happy Body Bar and radiant Glow Serum. For a lighthearted but still informative look at the world of cannabis, this book is great for any of the women on your shopping list.
Finding Your Higher Self: Your Guide to Cannabis Selfcare
For anyone super busy or stressed on your shopping list, (who isn’t these days?), “Finding Your Higher Self” is an essential how-to guide to implementing selfcare. Written by Brooklyn-based journalist Sophie Saint Thomas, this book gives you step-by-step instructions to help you slow down and take better care of your mind, body, and soul. She breaks down how to use cannabis to unwind by adding it to your mediation practice, yoga session, or bath time. This book features activities like massage with cannabis oil and medicated meditation and recipes like a face mask and CBD topical rub for stiff muscles.
Making time for yourself is so important, so whether they’re a stay-at-home parent or work on Wall Street, almost everyone on your shopping list could use this book (including you!)
Cannabis Pharmacy
For the more academically inclined readers on your shopping list, “Cannabis Pharmacy” is an in-depth look at understanding and using medical cannabis. The author, Michael Backes, co-founded Cornerstone Research Collective, the first evidence-based medical cannabis collective in California, and currently sits on the Cannabis Committee of the American Herbal Products Association. So yeah, he knows his stuff!
In this book, he explains how cannabis works with your body to treat an array of ailments and conditions. He also breaks down how to prepare, administer, and control the dosage of your cannabis. Backes has even revised and updated the book to reflect the latest information on variety, delivery, treatable conditions, and dosing. “Cannabis Pharmacy” is perfect for the analytical minds and education enthusiasts in your life.
Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties
You may remember Emily Post, famed New York socialite who literally wrote the book on the rules of etiquette. Well, “Higher Etiquette” was written by Lizzie Post, her great-great-granddaughter. This book is a fun and informative look at how to be a respectful, thoughtful, and responsible cannabis consumer. Combining cannabis culture’s traditions with Emily Post’s well-established social rules, the book covers how to bring cannabis to a dinner party, how to respectfully use cannabis as a guest, how to navigate a dispensary, and most importantly, how to handle faux pas such as "canoed" joints and "lawn-mowed" bowls. Charming, informative, and stylishly illustrated, this book makes a great gift for the social smokers on your list.
Bong Appetit: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Weed: A Cookbook
Inspired by Vice’s food section MUNCHIES, and the TV series of the same name, Bong Appetit is half cookbook, half cannabis textbook. Along with its elevated recipes like cannabutter-braised chicken and rib eye with cannabis chimichurri, Bong Appetit also gives helpful info on how to purchase cannabis, dosage, and pairing flavors. It also discusses some of the politics behind legalizing cannabis.
Bong Appetit features tips and tricks from many MUNCHIES contributors and experts, including "Bong Appétit" stars Ry Prichard and Vanessa Lavorato. This bright and colorful book is also available in hardcover, which always makes an especially beautiful gift.
The Little Black Book of Marijuana: The Essential Guide to the World of Cannabis
Last but not least, this concise and to-the-point little guide is very handy and gives quick and helpful information, like how to grow cannabis, how to cook with it, and how to use it medically. It even has full-color photos of different cannabis varieties. Small and inexpensive, The Little Black Book of Marijuana has something for everyone, which makes it the perfect stocking stuffer or white elephant gift.
Looking for more gift inspiration? Check out some other gifts and accessories to gift this holiday season.