Reefer Madness (Schlosser book)
Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market is a book written by Eric Schlosser and published in 2003. The book is a look at the three pillars of the underground economy of the United States, estimated by Schlosser to be ten percent of U.S. GDP: marijuana, migrant labor, and pornography. The book is divided into three chapters: Chapter 1: "Reefer Madness", Schlosser argues, based on usage, historical context, and consequences, for the decriminalization of marijuana. Chapter 2: "In the Strawberry Fields", he explores the exploitation of illegal aliens as cheap labor , arguing that there should be better living arrangements and humane treatment of the illegal aliens the U.S. is exploiting in the fields of California. Chapter 3: "An Empire of the Obscene" details the history of pornography in U.S. culture, starting with the eventual business magnate Reuben Sturman. Schlosser closes by arguing that such a widespread black market can only undermine the law and is indicative of the discrepancy between accepted mainstream U.S. culture and its true nature.