[.ca] Romancing Mary Jane: A year in the life of a failed ... (ISBN 1550547496)

Not intended for those intolerant of recreational marijuana:
Romancing Mary Jane: A Year In The Life Of A Failed Marijuana Grower is the memoir of Michael Pools, an unabashed, unashamed, self-professed Canadian marijuana cultivator who combined his love of the outdoors with his passion for psychoactive plants. Michael's daily life, his resistance to the pressures of Canadian anti-drug laws, as well as his travails and insights fill the pages of this eye-opening book, one which is emphatically not intended for those intolerant of recreational marijuana use, yet amusing in its own right and a thoroughly interesting and thought-provoking contribution to the national dialogue over a "cannabis culture".

Comparisons to Thoreau's Walden:
Even if you are not a toker, read this book as a wonderful meditation on self-reliance and independence from society, as well as an exploration of our relationship to nature. I can't help but to find a lot of similiarities to Thoreau in Poole's writing, which in my mind, is a good thing. Instead of hoeing a field of beans, we find a similiar narrator coming to similiar conclusions as he nurtures a different crop. When I reflect on this book and describe it to people, I always speak of his descriptions of the people, bears, eagles, and falcons that Poole closely observes, as well as the self-effacing, humorous comments the author has about his growing experiences. This will be an underground classic that the rest of society will, unfortunately, miss, but could really benefit from.