Hemp, Cannabis sativa, is one of the world's oldest sources of food and medicine, with a history that dates back ten thousand years. It relieves glaucoma, epilepsy, migraines, insomnia, asthma, the nausea associated with AIDS and chemotherapy, and a host of other conditions. It was once a staple in every American medicine cabinet, but because hemp is the plant from which marijuana is derived, it has been unavailable to consumers until recently. Now products made from imported hempseed are sold by stores and mail-order companies across the United States to satisfy a growing demand. Hemp for Health reveals the developments that have returned this ancient plant to the forefront of health and nutrition and that have doctors calling for its legalization.

The author provides everything from recipes using hempseed, and an analysis of cannabis's therapeutic effect on the nervous system, to current information on bills that are currently moving through several state legislatures to legalize domestic hemp production .