The book Reefer Madness: and Other Tales from the American Underground examines the hidden or “underground” sectors of the American economy and how they interact with mainstream society and policy. It focuses on three main areas: the marijuana trade and the enforcement strategies surrounding drug prohibition, the pornography industry and its cultural and economic impact, and the reliance on undocumented migrant labor in industrial agriculture. Across these topics, the author argues that illegal or semi-legal markets are deeply intertwined with legal economic systems and are shaped by regulatory frameworks, consumer demand, and political contradictions, revealing how government policy often produces unintended economic and social consequences.

Eric Schlosser

Reefer Madness: and Other Tales from the American Underground