Quick answer: The best cannabis books in Canada right now are Catch a Fire by Ben Kaplan (the legalization boom and bust), Bud Inc. by Ian Mulgrew (B.C.’s underground industry), The High North from UBC Press (essays on legalization), and two University of Toronto Press histories: Not This Time by Marcel Martel and Jailed for Possession by Catherine Carstairs. For something lighter, pick up Andrew Struthers’ The Sacred Herb / The Devil’s Weed.
Canada was one of the first countries to ban cannabis, in 1923, and in October 2018 it became only the second country to legalize it nationally for adults. A lot happened in between: court fights over medical access, B.C. Bud going global, storefront dispensaries, a stock-market frenzy and a hard crash. The good news for curious readers is that Canadian journalists, historians and writers have covered almost all of it. Here are eight cannabis books worth reading in Canada, what each one covers, and who it suits best.
Why Read a Cannabis Book in Canada?
Today’s legal shelves look nothing like the market of twenty years ago, and most of the people who built Canadian cannabis culture did it long before it was legal. Knowing that history makes you a sharper shopper, explains why Canada’s cannabis market is unique, and gives you better stories to tell. If you want to go back even further than Canada, start with our look at the surprising origin of cannabis.
8 Cannabis Books Worth Reading in Canada
1. Catch a Fire: The Blaze and Bust of the Canadian Cannabis Industry, by Ben Kaplan
Publisher: Dundurn Press, 2025 · Best for: anyone who lived through legalization and wants the backstory
Kaplan, a Toronto journalist who has written for GQ and the National Post and co-founded KIND Magazine, tells how Canadian cannabis went from a grey-market cause to a multibillion-dollar stock-market story and back down again. Canopy Growth founder Bruce Linton is a central character, but the cast runs from 1960s dealers and medical-access litigants to the lawyers, politicians and investors who shaped the legal market. It reads like a business thriller, and it’s the most up-to-date book on this list.
2. Bud Inc.: Inside Canada’s Marijuana Industry, by Ian Mulgrew
Publisher: Random House Canada, 2005 · Best for: B.C. Bud history and the pre-legal economy
Vancouver journalist Ian Mulgrew followed the underground trade while it was still fully illegal: from small-time smuggling to the indoor grows that made B.C. Bud famous, plus the economists trying to measure how big it had become. A finalist for the National Business Book Award, it’s a time capsule of the arguments that eventually led to legalization. For the genetics side of that era, see our explainer on what Kush is.
3. The High North: Cannabis in Canada (essay collection)
Publisher: UBC Press, 2022 · Best for: a critical, research-based look at legalization
This collection brings together academics, activists and people who have worked in the industry. Chapters cover the history of the legalization movement, medical dispensaries, the experience of working in corporate cannabis, the idea of “slow” craft cannabis, and the folklore of the illicit market. A recurring idea is an appellation-style system to protect small growers, much like wine regions protect their names. If you only read one book about what legalization did and didn’t change, make it this one.
4. Not This Time: Canadians, Public Policy, and the Marijuana Question, 1961–1975, by Marcel Martel
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2006 · Best for: history readers
Martel covers the years when cannabis first became a mainstream political issue in Canada: use spread among young people in the 1960s, arrests climbed, and Ottawa had to decide what to do, including during the era of the federal Le Dain Commission. The title says it all. Legalization was on the table decades before 2018, and this book explains why it didn’t happen then.
5. Jailed for Possession: Illegal Drug Use, Regulation, and Power in Canada, 1920–1961, by Catherine Carstairs
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2006 · Best for: understanding where Canada’s drug laws came from
Carstairs, a University of Guelph historian, wrote the first social history of illegal drug use in Canada. Its focus is opium, morphine, heroin and cocaine rather than cannabis, but it explains the legal system cannabis was added to in 1923 and how possession laws shaped people’s lives for decades. Read it just before Martel’s book; the two make a natural pair.
6. The Black Candle, by Emily Murphy
Published: 1922, Toronto · Best for: reading prohibition’s arguments in the original
Murphy, an Edmonton magistrate best known as one of the “Famous Five,” turned her Maclean’s articles on the drug trade into this book. It is openly racist and full of sensational claims, so read it as a historical document, not a guide. Cannabis was added to Canada’s banned-drug list the next year. Murphy long got the credit (or the blame), but historians now point mainly to Canada’s international drug-treaty commitments. Because it dates from 1922, it’s in the public domain and free to read in online archives.
7. The Sacred Herb / The Devil’s Weed, by Andrew Struthers
Publisher: New Star Books, Vancouver · Best for: a fun, lighter read (and a great gift)
This is a double paperback. Read it one way for The Sacred Herb, true stories of cannabis misadventures that Victoria writer Andrew Struthers collected from about a hundred friends. Flip it over for The Devil’s Weed, a funny, wide-ranging look at the plant’s history and culture. It’s the most entertaining book on this list.
8. The Little Book of Cannabis, by Amanda Siebert
Publisher: Greystone Books, 2018 · Best for: newcomers who want a friendly overview
Written by former Georgia Straight cannabis columnist Amanda Siebert and published the year Canada legalized, this short book walks through the common reasons people use cannabis. It was Canada’s bestselling cannabis non-fiction title in early 2019. Parts of it discuss wellness topics, so treat those as background reading rather than medical advice, and take any health questions to a doctor or pharmacist.
Cannabis Books in Canada at a Glance
| Book | Author | Year | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch a Fire | Ben Kaplan | 2025 | The legalization boom and bust |
| Bud Inc. | Ian Mulgrew | 2005 | B.C. Bud and the pre-legal industry |
| The High North | UBC Press (essays) | 2022 | What legalization changed |
| Not This Time | Marcel Martel | 2006 | The 1960s–70s legalization debate |
| Jailed for Possession | Catherine Carstairs | 2006 | Origins of Canada’s drug laws |
| The Black Candle | Emily Murphy | 1922 | Prohibition’s original arguments |
| The Sacred Herb / The Devil’s Weed | Andrew Struthers | – | Stories, humour, culture |
| The Little Book of Cannabis | Amanda Siebert | 2018 | Beginners |
Which Cannabis Book Should You Read First?
- New to the topic: The Little Book of Cannabis, then Catch a Fire.
- History buffs: The Black Candle, then Jailed for Possession, then Not This Time, in that order for a clean timeline.
- Business and industry: Bud Inc., then Catch a Fire, then The High North.
- Just want a laugh: The Sacred Herb / The Devil’s Weed.
Where to Find Cannabis Books in Canada
Every book on this list comes from a Canadian publisher (Dundurn, UBC Press, University of Toronto Press, Greystone, New Star and Random House Canada), so any independent bookstore or major chain can order them. Your public library is the cheapest route: most Canadian libraries lend ebooks and audiobooks through apps like Libby, and Toronto Public Library, for example, carries the Catch a Fire ebook. Older titles like Bud Inc. are easiest to find second-hand, and The Black Candle is free online.
Make It a Reading Night
A good book pairs well with a slow, low-key session. Our tips for a slow and thoughtful cannabis ritual are a good place to start. Roll your own with rolling papers and trays and a grinder (here’s how to roll a joint the right way), or keep it simple with pre-rolls. Prefer not to smoke? Browse edibles and read up on the right edibles dosage for beginners first. Curious why every strain smells different? That’s covered in what gives cannabis strains their smell and taste.
Cannabis is for adults 19+ in Ontario. Never drive after consuming.
Keep Reading on The Purple Leaf Blog
- The Surprising Origin of Cannabis
- What Makes Canada’s Cannabis Market Unique
- Indica vs Sativa vs Hybrid: What’s the Difference?
- What Is Kush?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best cannabis books in Canada?
Start with Catch a Fire by Ben Kaplan (2025), Bud Inc. by Ian Mulgrew (2005) and The High North from UBC Press (2022). For deeper history, add Marcel Martel’s Not This Time and Catherine Carstairs’ Jailed for Possession, both from University of Toronto Press.
Is there a book about cannabis legalization in Canada?
Yes. Catch a Fire tells the business and political story of legalization and the investment boom and bust that followed. The High North is an essay collection that looks critically at the policy and its effects.
Why was cannabis made illegal in Canada?
Cannabis was added to Canada’s list of banned drugs in 1923 with almost no public debate. Emily Murphy’s 1922 book The Black Candle is often blamed, but many historians point mainly to Canada’s international drug-treaty commitments.
When did cannabis become legal in Canada?
The Cannabis Act took effect on October 17, 2018, making Canada the second country, after Uruguay, to legalize recreational cannabis nationally.
Where can I borrow cannabis books for free?
Your public library. Most Canadian libraries lend ebooks and audiobooks through apps like Libby, and The Black Candle is in the public domain and free to read in online archives.
Want something to go with your next read? Browse flower, pre-rolls and edibles. Weekday orders (Monday to Friday) placed before noon (12:00 PM EST) are delivered the same day; see our London, Ontario delivery page for details.
Buy weed online in Canada · Same-day weed delivery in London, Ontario on weekday orders placed before noon (12:00 PM EST).
