Herb

Herb

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Marijuana Made Me

20220110

The world of cannabis is changing. The 21st century is witnessing decriminalisation of recreational use and increasing pressure for wider medical application. There are global cultural and social implications - but not all of them well explored. In 'Herb', the writer Colin Grant sets out to remedy this, mixing autobiography, history and research. He carries no agenda, no lawyer's brief for marijuana'. Rather, in a landscape in which almost all discussion is polarised, he seeks to explore a range of more nuanced aspects of its use and abuse.

In this first essay, Colin explores how his own attitude towards the drug has evolved over the years and the ambivalence he feels about it now. His father felt he had the perfect justification for dealing cannabis to his fellow West Indians in Luton in the late 1960s; he was doing it to further his ten-year-old son's education. Unsurprisingly, the law didn't quite see it that way...

Producer: Kirsty Pope
A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3

Writer Colin Grant's personal take on the cultural history of cannabis.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Burkina Faso's Incorruptible People and the Drum

20220111

Writer Colin Grant examines the implications of evolving attitudes to cannabis use in the 21st century. Recalling a trip to Burkina Faso some years ago, Colin explores the relationship between cannabis and the local community he encountered there, and how the boom in acceptance of the drug worldwide, for both medical and recreational purposes, has led to green' venture capitalism - and possibly a net loss for those subsistence farmers he met on his trip.

While the 20th century was replete with prohibition, the 21st century is rediscovering tolerance. From Canada to South Africa, Georgia to Uruguay and numerous US states; the legalisation of cannabis appears to be snowballing. But, Colin asks, what might it really mean to those who produce and consume it?

Producer: Kirsty Pope
A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3

Colin Grant examines the relationship between cannabis and the global poor.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leaf of Life

20220112

The writer Colin Grant says he carries no lawyer's brief for marijuana'. Rather, in a landscape in which almost all discussion is polarised, he seeks to explore a range of more nuanced aspects of the drug.

In this third essay of the series, Colin looks at the issue of medical cannabis. He traces the way in which it fell from favour in the 20th century and is now rising again, despite opposition and, as Colin sees it, institutional intransigence.

It is a subject with a particularly strong resonance for Colin's family. When his brother, Christopher, struggled with prescribed epilepsy medication, he discovered welcome relief through cannabis use. Colin looks at recent research studies, delves back into the history of medical cannabis, and asks - if it was good enough for Queen Victoria, then why not his brother?

Producer: Kirsty Pope
A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3

Colin Grant looks at the rise of medical marijuana.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

The Binoculars of Jah

20220114

The writer Colin Grant weaves autobiography with history and research to allow us to look at cannabis use and abuse from an original perspective. He explores how tendrils of marijuana smoke drift through literature, music, madness, medicine and mankind's desire to meet and exchange.

While the twentieth century was marked by cannabis prohibition, the twenty first century is rediscovering tolerance. Legalisation appears to be snowballing.

But this tolerance comes just as scientists and psychiatrists are becoming increasingly concerned about the drug's links to psychosis, particularly with the global prevalence of higher-strength strains.

In this final Essay, Colin describes how, in the process of writing a book about one of his musical heroes, Bunny Wailer, he finds himself cursed and fearing his own imminent demise. This Essay interrogates marijuana's association with culture and creativity and explores the place of the drug in both Hinduism and Rastafari, the spiritual and political movement in Jamaica.

Producer: Kirsty Pope
A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3

Colin Grant ponders the relationship between musical creativity and cannabis.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

The Fall Of The House Of Crosskill

20220113

Writer Colin Grant guides us through a nuanced story of cannabis use... and abuse.

As he states at the beginning of the series, Colin carries no lawyer's brief for marijuana'. In previous programmes, he has explored how it helped his epileptic brother and also how he believes it has provided a form of social service to subsistence communities. But in this essay, Colin explores one of the negative consequences; the role it might have played in the tragic demise of former editor and respected BBC World Service journalist, Hugh Crosskill.

With decriminalisation increasing and cannabis use continuing to grow globally, Colin feels it's a story that may have implications for us all. The warning it carries is not perhaps the one we might expect, but one far more connected with the perils of how little we really know about the drug in its 21st-century form.

Producer: Kirsty Pope

A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3

Colin Grant wonders to what extent cannabis can be deemed a 'gateway drug'.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Marijuana Made Me	20220110	The world of cannabis is changing. The 21st century is witnessing decriminalisation of recreational use and increasing pressure for wider medical application. There are global cultural and social implications - but not all of them well explored. In 'Herb', the writer Colin Grant sets out to remedy this, mixing autobiography, history and research. He carries no agenda, no lawyer's brief for marijuana'. Rather, in a landscape in which almost all discussion is polarised, he seeks to explore a range of more nuanced aspects of its use and abuse. In this first essay, Colin explores how his own attitude towards the drug has evolved over the years and the ambivalence he feels about it now. His father felt he had the perfect justification for dealing cannabis to his fellow West Indians in Luton in the late 1960s; he was doing it to further his ten-year-old son's education. Unsurprisingly, the law didn't quite see it that way... Producer: Kirsty Pope A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3 Writer Colin Grant's personal take on the cultural history of cannabis. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
02	Burkina Faso's Incorruptible People and the Drum	20220111	Writer Colin Grant examines the implications of evolving attitudes to cannabis use in the 21st century. Recalling a trip to Burkina Faso some years ago, Colin explores the relationship between cannabis and the local community he encountered there, and how the boom in acceptance of the drug worldwide, for both medical and recreational purposes, has led to green' venture capitalism - and possibly a net loss for those subsistence farmers he met on his trip. While the 20th century was replete with prohibition, the 21st century is rediscovering tolerance. From Canada to South Africa, Georgia to Uruguay and numerous US states; the legalisation of cannabis appears to be snowballing. But, Colin asks, what might it really mean to those who produce and consume it? Producer: Kirsty Pope A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3 Colin Grant examines the relationship between cannabis and the global poor. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
03	Leaf of Life	20220112	The writer Colin Grant says he carries no lawyer's brief for marijuana'. Rather, in a landscape in which almost all discussion is polarised, he seeks to explore a range of more nuanced aspects of the drug. In this third essay of the series, Colin looks at the issue of medical cannabis. He traces the way in which it fell from favour in the 20th century and is now rising again, despite opposition and, as Colin sees it, institutional intransigence. It is a subject with a particularly strong resonance for Colin's family. When his brother, Christopher, struggled with prescribed epilepsy medication, he discovered welcome relief through cannabis use. Colin looks at recent research studies, delves back into the history of medical cannabis, and asks - if it was good enough for Queen Victoria, then why not his brother? Producer: Kirsty Pope A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3 Colin Grant looks at the rise of medical marijuana. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
05	The Binoculars of Jah	20220114	The writer Colin Grant weaves autobiography with history and research to allow us to look at cannabis use and abuse from an original perspective. He explores how tendrils of marijuana smoke drift through literature, music, madness, medicine and mankind's desire to meet and exchange. While the twentieth century was marked by cannabis prohibition, the twenty first century is rediscovering tolerance. Legalisation appears to be snowballing. But this tolerance comes just as scientists and psychiatrists are becoming increasingly concerned about the drug's links to psychosis, particularly with the global prevalence of higher-strength strains. In this final Essay, Colin describes how, in the process of writing a book about one of his musical heroes, Bunny Wailer, he finds himself cursed and fearing his own imminent demise. This Essay interrogates marijuana's association with culture and creativity and explores the place of the drug in both Hinduism and Rastafari, the spiritual and political movement in Jamaica. Producer: Kirsty Pope A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3 Colin Grant ponders the relationship between musical creativity and cannabis. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
04	The Fall Of The House Of Crosskill	20220113	Writer Colin Grant guides us through a nuanced story of cannabis use... and abuse. As he states at the beginning of the series, Colin carries no lawyer's brief for marijuana'. In previous programmes, he has explored how it helped his epileptic brother and also how he believes it has provided a form of social service to subsistence communities. But in this essay, Colin explores one of the negative consequences; the role it might have played in the tragic demise of former editor and respected BBC World Service journalist, Hugh Crosskill. With decriminalisation increasing and cannabis use continuing to grow globally, Colin feels it's a story that may have implications for us all. The warning it carries is not perhaps the one we might expect, but one far more connected with the perils of how little we really know about the drug in its 21st-century form. Producer: Kirsty Pope A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 3 Colin Grant wonders to what extent cannabis can be deemed a 'gateway drug'. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.