Grinspoon nació el 24 de junio de 1928 en Newtown, Massachusetts. Se graduó en Universidad de Tufts y en la Escuela de Medicina de Harvard. Estaba casado y tenía cuatro hijos, entre ellos el astrobiólogo David Grinspoon y el médico y autor Peter Grinspoon. Su hijo mayor murió de cáncer cuando tenía 15 años. En 2011, reveló que tenía cáncer durante el documental Clearing the Smoke: The Science of Cannabis .

Grinspoon se interesó en el cannabis en la década de 1960 cuando su uso en los Estados Unidos aumentó dramáticamente. "No tenía dudas de que era una droga muy dañina que desafortunadamente estaba siendo utilizada por jóvenes cada vez más tontos que no escuchaban o no podían creer o entender las advertencias sobre sus peligros". Cuando Grinspoon comenzó a estudiar marihuana en 1967, su intención era "definir científicamente la naturaleza y el grado de esos peligros", pero al revisar la literatura existente sobre el tema, Grinspoon llegó a la conclusión de que él y el público en general habían sido mal informados y engañados.  "Había poca evidencia empírica para apoyar mis creencias sobre los peligros de la marihuana", y estaba convencido de que el cannabis era mucho menos dañino de lo que había creído.  El título de Marihuana Reconsidered " refleja ese cambio a la vista". Ha testificado ante el Congreso, y como testigo experto en varios procedimientos legales, incluidas las audiencias de deportación de John Lennon. 

A pesar de "una carrera que incluyó una investigación pionera sobre la esquizofrenia docenas de libros y documentos, y roles de liderazgo en el Centro de Salud Mental de Massachusetts y otras instituciones prestigiosas", a Grinspoon se le negó el ascenso a profesor titular en 1975 y 1997. Los aliados de Grinspoon creen que "un trasfondo de prejuicios no científicos contra el cannabis entre los profesores y los líderes escolares [de Harvard] condenaron sus posibilidades "; en 1975, un decano le confió que el comité de promociones "odiaba" a Marihuana Reconsiderado porque era "demasiado controvertido", le caracterizaba Dan Adams de The Boston Globe.

En 1990, Grinspoon ganó el premio Alfred  R.Lindesmith por logros en el campo de becas de la Drug Policy Foundation fusionada después con The Lindesmith Center y respaldado por supuesto por Grinspoon en mayo de 2010.

A pesar de "una carrera que incluyó una investigación pionera sobre la esquizofrenia docenas de libros y documentos, y roles de liderazgo en el Centro de Salud Mental de Massachusetts y otras instituciones prestigiosas", a Grinspoon se le negó el ascenso a profesor titular en 1975 y 1997. Los aliados de Grinspoon creen que "un trasfondo de prejuicios no científicos contra el cannabis entre los profesores y los líderes escolares [de Harvard] condenaron sus posibilidades "; en 1975, un decano le confió que el comité de promociones "odiaba" a Marihuana Reconsiderado porque era "demasiado controvertido", le caracterizaba Dan Adams de The Boston Globe.

Los ex colegas Ming Tsuang y Joseph Coyle han sostenido que la negación de la promoción de Grinspoon probablemente se debió a su negligencia percibida de la "investigación original" a favor de "sintetizar" el trabajo de otros".  Sin embargo, Coyle ha reconocido que la investigación de cannabis de Grinspoon "podría haber sido un elemento" en la decisión.

       LUPA RUBRA

Grinspoon was born on June 24, 1928 in Newtown, Massachusetts. He graduated from Tufts University and Harvard Medical School. He was married and had four children, including astrobiologist David Grinspoon and author and physician Peter Grinspoon. Her oldest son died of cancer when she was 15 years old. In 2011, he revealed he had cancer during the documentary Clearing the Smoke: The Science of Cannabis.

Grinspoon became interested in cannabis in the 1960s when its use in the United States caused it dramatically. "I had no doubt that it was a very harmful drug that was unfortunately being targeted by increasingly dumb youths who did not listen to or believe or understand the warnings about its dangers." When Grinspoon began studying marijuana in 1967, his intention was to "scientifically define the nature and extent of those dangers," but by reviewing the existing literature on the subject, Grinspoon concluded that he and the general public had been misinformed and deceived. "There was little empirical evidence to support my beliefs about the dangers of marijuana," and I was convinced that cannabis was far less harmful than I had believed. The Marijuana title reconsidered "reflects that change in sight." He has testified before Congress, and as an expert witness in various legal proceedings, including John Lennon´s deportation hearings.

Despite "a career that included pioneering research on schizophrenia, dozens of books and documents, and leadership roles at the Massachusetts Center for Mental Health and other prestigious institutions," Grinspoon was denied promotion to full professor in 1975. and 1997. Grinspoon´s allies believe that "an undercurrent of nonscientific anti-cannabis biases among [Harvard] teachers and school leaders doomed its possibilities"; In 1975, one year he confided that the promotions committee "hated" Marijuana Reconsidered because it was "too controversial", he was characterized by Dan Adams of The Boston Globe.
In 1990, Grinspoon won the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for achievements in the Drug Policy Foundation scholarship field, later merged with The Lindesmith Center and of course endorsed by Grinspoon in May 2010.

Grinspoon is the author or co-author of several cannabis-related and psychedelic books, including Reconsidered Marijuana (published dates 1971, 1977 and 1994), Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered, Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine and Psychedelic Reflections. The first two were published during the 1970s, when cannabis appeared to be on its way to national decriminalization in the United States; Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine was published in 1993. It describes a variety of ailments for which cannabis ingestion may be indicated. Grinspoon contributed a chapter to Jefferson Fish´s book Legalizing Drugs.

Grinspoon ran two websites: Marijuana: Lost Medicine, which includes thousands of individual anecdotes about the medical uses of marijuana, as well as questions and answers; and Uses of Marijuana, which allows people to submit essays related to the "enhancing" effects that marijuana may have on the user. The focus is on effects that are significant to the individual: not just "increased appetite," but rather effects such as increased creativity, troubled thinking / new ideas, or a greater appreciation of music, art, and music. nature.

Despite "a career that included pioneering research on schizophrenia, dozens of books and documents, and leadership roles at the Massachusetts Center for Mental Health and other prestigious institutions," Grinspoon was denied promotion to full professor in 1975. and 1997. Grinspoon´s allies believe that "an undercurrent of nonscientific anti-cannabis biases among [Harvard] teachers and school leaders doomed its possibilities"; in 1975, a dean confided to him that the promotions committee "hated" Marijuana Reconsidered because he was "too controversial", he was characterized by Dan Adams of The Boston Globe.

Former colleagues Ming Tsuang and Joseph Coyle have argued that Grinspoon´s denial of promotion was likely due to his perceived neglect of "original research" in favor of "synthesizing" the work of others. "However, Coyle has acknowledged that Grinspoon´s cannabis research "could have been an element" in the decision.

       LUPA RUBRA