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Check out our list of the 10 best marijuana grow books and cannabis cookbooks. Marijuana grow books are invaluable resources for growers of all skill levels. Whether it's your first time growing weed or you have years of experience under your belt, there's always some new technique to learn. 

Fortunately for you, we've assembled a list of the most helpful and popular grow books and weed cookbooks on the market. These books can help you grow weed and cook with weed like a pro.

Who Needs a Marijuana Grow Book?

In today's age of short attention spans and online videos, books on cannabis cultivation can seem a bit quaint. However, grow books offer tons of value for the beginner who doesn't know where to start.

Growing weed isn't like growing vegetables or flowers in your garden. While some basic growing techniques still apply, pot has a unique vegetative and flowering life cycle that requires careful consideration. Grow books offer you a one-stop-shop for anything related to weed cultivation.

Books on growing pot also offer another advantage over other resources. The best cannabis grow book provides you with an organized resource full of distinct sections and topics covered in detail.

Reading a book can also reinforce the ideas you've learned elsewhere. Of course, nothing beats experiential learning, so once you're done reading these books, go out there and start growing!

Marijuana grow book. A book with a marijuana leaf on the cover.

Ed Rosenthal: Cannabis Pioneer & Author

The industry wouldn't be where it is today without the tireless efforts of the activists and growers who spread the word about the power of weed.

Luckily, many of today's leading weed experts have passed on their experience and wisdom through their published books on growing pot.

Ed Rosenthal, one of the leading cannabis horticulturists in the industry, has been a prolific author publishing dozens of books on various pot topics throughout his career spanning decades.

More than an author, he's an educator and social activist. He's one of the co-founders of High Times Magazine. He's also founded many socially-responsible cannabis organizations. He has truly had a big hand in advancing the movement toward what it is today.

Cannabis Training University Gives You Access to 4 Ed Rosenthal Books

Cannabis Training University is proud to have Ed Rosenthal as part of the CTU faculty. Our partnership has helped bring tons of educational value to our students all over the world.

We're thrilled to give students access to 4 of the first 5 cannabis growing books on this list when they enroll in online weed training. You can learn from the “Guru of Ganja” himself.

If you're ready to start taking your weed garden to the next level, let these marijuana horticulture books guide you to bigger, stronger, and more flavorful yields.

1. Marijuana Grower's Handbook by Ed Rosenthal

Ed Rosenthal's “Marijuana Grower's Handbook” is an essential read for all weed growers. Throughout the over 600 pages, Rosenthal takes you through the process of growing pot from seed to harvest. Learn how to grow indoors or outdoors through informative text and glossy photos and illustrations.

2. Big Book of Buds Greatest Hits by Ed Rosenthal

We're lucky to live during a time with tons of pot strain varieties to choose from. Rosenthal provides readers with an informative rundown on the world's most popular strains. For growers who want to know everything about the strain from its terpenes to its flavors, this cannabis grow book is for you.

3. Beyond Buds: Marijuana Extracts, Hash, Vaping, Dabbing, Edibles and Medicines by Ed Rosenthal

Weed extraction is the new frontier of the industry, Learn all about turning your freshly harvested buds into concentrates, edibles, and topicals. Dive deep into the mechanics of weed extraction methods. You'll learn how to make cannabutter for edibles and other infusions with your buds.

4. Beyond Buds, Next Generation: Marijuana Concentrates and Cannabis Infusions by Ed Rosenthal

Dive even deeper into the world of weed extraction methods with Rosenthal's “Beyond Buds, Next Generation” book.  Take a close look at BHO, rosin, oil, and the variety of dab types that exist. Use the information in this book to transform your trim into a variety of extracts and topicals. The concentrate market is developing fast and Ed Rosenthal is at the forefront.

5. Marijuana Garden Saver: A Field Guide to Identifying and Correcting Cannabis Problems by Ed Rosenthal

If you've got a problem with your weed garden, Ed Rosenthal probably has a book on it. In his “Marijuana Garden Saver” book, Rosenthal provides growers with a go-to field guide to identify and fix various common problems. This book covers common pests, diseases, environmental stresses, and nutrient disorders that affect a garden.

6. Closet Cultivator: Indoor Marijuana Cultivation Made Easy by Ed Rosenthal

We know not everyone has a huge space to grow several plants. Some growers may just have an empty closet to grow in. For these growers, Rosenthal's “Closet Cultivator” takes you through every step of designing a grow space in a limited space and on a budget. Learn about lighting, irrigation, nutrients, and more.

7. The Cannabis Grow Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing Marijuana for Recreational and Medical Use by Greg Green

Greg Green's classic “Cannabis Grow Bible” is regarded as one of the most complete books on the subject. Over a decade old, this book covered ground-breaking techniques that continue to be used to this day.

For instance, his section on the Screen of Green (SCROG) technique teaches you how to train and prune a canopy to increase your yield. Have some patience though, this book's detailed instructions can be a hard read for beginners.

8. True Living Organics: The Ultimate Guide to Growing All-Natural Marijuana Indoors by The Rev

If you're a seasoned grower and want to take your garden to the next level, The Rev's “True Living Organics” grow book is for you. The Rev wrote one of the only books on the market that shows you how to convert your current garden into an all-natural environment.

He pays special attention to the different high-quality living mediums for your plants. The over 200 featured images make his instructions easy-to-follow.

9. Cultivating Exceptional Cannabis: An Expert Breeder Shares His Secrets by DJ Short

DJ Short is known for his legendary strain creations including his award-winning Blueberry strain. Instead of focusing on yield and potency, DJ Short focuses on sustainability.  He teaches you how to grow organically from seed to harvest. His book also covers the basics of breeding new strains.

10. The Sinsemilla Technique by Kayo

“The Sinsemilla Technique” by Kayo is a classic read. Published in 1983, this book may not be as up-to-date as some of today's modern grow books, but they all owe a debt of gratitude to this iconic grow book. Kaya cuts through the jargon and spells it out simply for beginners.

He is also one of the first to describe the popular method of separating male and female plants. This book is a must-read for first-time growers who want an easy and informative guide to growing cannabis.

More Growing Books by Ed Rosenthal

Rosenthal's nearly 50-year career in the industry has placed him at the forefront of the cultivation space. Over the decades, he's shared his wisdom through books on various weed cultivation topics.

Whether you plan to grow medical marijuana or pot for personal use, these books by the “Guru of Ganja” can set you on the right path.

Marijuana Harvest: How to Maximize Quality and Yield In Your Cannabis Garden

Rosenthal's “Marijuana Harvest: How to Maximize Quality and Yield in Your Cannabis Garden” is the ultimate read for growers who want to get the maximum yield possible.

Co-authored with David Downs, this book combines the knowledge of two professionals at the top of their game. Learn the best time to harvest, the ripening stages of trichomes, and the flushing techniques necessary to give you better yields.

Marijuana Pest and Disease Control: How to Protect Your Plants and Win Back Your Garden

“Marijuana Pest and Disease Control: How to Protect Your Plants and Win Back Your Garden” gives you all the tools you need to battle those pesky pests.

It also teaches you how to ward off diseases that can devastate your crop. Rosenthal teaches you safe and organic pest management techniques, so you won't have to use pesticides. He also shows you preventative measures to take to avoid the problem in the first place.

Ask Ed: Marijuana Success Tips: Tips and Advice for Gardening Year-Round

“Ask Ed: Marijuana Success Tips: Tips and Advice for Gardening Year-Round” assembles his best advice column posts. It also includes 20 articles from his backyard experiments, travels, and visits to large scale farms. Learn how to grow throughout the year and always have a supply of weed on hand.

More Cannabis Grow Books

Strain Guides

If nothing else, strain guides usually provide plenty of eye candy from the photos they contain. These books remain popular but pose challenges for their authors, largely because of the massive influx of strains hitting the market on a regular basis.

What the most notable strains guides do, however, is provide a good reference for foundation strains from which so many of today’s favorite strains were produced.

The Cannabible (Volumes 1-3) – by Jason King

The hardcover, cased, three-volume set looks awesome on any cannabis enthusiast’s coffee table. The photos are spectacular, and the information is more or less accurate. Each volume contains editorial copy about a range of cannabis-related topics. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of old strains or new, you’ll be entertained—and no doubt learn a thing or two—by flipping through the pages.

Big Book of Buds (Volumes 1-2) – by Ed Rosenthal

This comprehensive look at the world’s most notable cannabis strains accomplishes a difficult objective fairly well. Anyone who loves marijuana and enjoys discovering new strains will enjoy perusing these pages—to see how many of the strains they’ve tried, if nothing else. Like The Cannabible volumes, books of this nature are almost dated by the time they hit bookstores, but they are undeniably fun to read and provide a good crash course on various strains.

Marijuana Smoker’s Guidebook: The Easy Way to Identify and Enjoy Marijuana Strains – by Matt Mernagh

This book tackles a difficult topic and does a respectable job of delivering on its objective. The author identifies 180 of the most popular strains from various countries and presents straightforward information about them. The book is for the general cannabis consumer and not professional industry insiders. It makes a handy resource for everyday smokers who are exploring a variety of strains.

Green: A Field Guide to Marijuana by Dan Michaels, with photography – by Erik Christiansen

This is another coffee-table hardcover with awesome macro photography of trichome-laden and sticky legendary strains. A range of other basic cannabis-related information like plant anatomy and terpenes help round out the appealing strain profiles and photographs.

Cannabis Cultivation

As you might have guessed, this book category is one of the largest in the cannabis space. With this being the case, narrowing down the very best titles can be difficult. Some of these are old classic while others are relatively new to the marijuana bookshelf. Although the following collection of cannabis horticulture titles barely scratches the surface of this category, the titles are must-reads for those who are looking for reliable information about cultivation best practices.

Ed Rosenthal’s Marijuana Grower’s Handbook – by Ed Rosenthal

This updated version of the well-known author’s classic text is a must-read for anyone serious about growing good cannabis. The information presented is a balanced mix of useful advice that will guarantee the success of beginners, as well as material that advanced growers will find interesting. The Marijuana Grower's Handbook by Ed Rosenthal is the official book of Cannabis Training University.

Cultivating Exceptional Cannabis: An Expert Breeder Shares His Secrets – by DJ Short

The pioneer West-Coast breeder adds another title to his catalog of growing books, this one more comprehensive and detailed than his previous offerings. The creator of Blueberry and Grape Kush provides interesting insights and advice about creating special and truly distinctive cannabis strains. With an impressive list of strains to his credit, any cannabis grower would be wise to spend time reading this informative book.

Grow Great Marijuana: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World’s Finest Cannabis – by Logan Edwards

Finally, a simplified book for a topic that can be very technical. Logan’s book provides useful advice for beginners as well as experts, all in an easy-to-understand style. This book is particularly useful to beginning indoor growers who are looking to start their first grow room.

Marijuana Garden Saver: Handbook for Healthy Plants – by J.C. Stitch, edited by Ed Rosenthal

This book will no doubt help many avoid the most common cannabis-growing pitfalls. It provides useful information about avoiding and dealing with pest, proper dosing of nutrients, and sound advice about how to grow marijuana correctly. Since many people struggle with harvesting a good crop, a good trouble-shooting text would make a valuable addition to their libraries.

Cannabis Cookbooks

The edibles segment of the cannabis industry has exploded in the age of legal cannabis. Pot brownies and cookies that were common in days past are eclipsed by some of the delicious dishes now being served with cannabis as the theme. Not only are sweet desserts and candies the focus, but a wide range of savory foods as well, as talented cannabis chefs provide delicious recipes for creating a marijuana meal anyone would be proud to serve.

Cooking with Herb – by Cedella Marley

If it wasn’t such a great cookbook, this book would be notable for the simple fact that it was written by reggae musician Bob Marley’s daughter. Her recipes embrace a holistic, green lifestyle. Many of the dishes presented are Jamaican and vegetarian delicacies that are downright delicious. Marley also includes content about growing up in Jamaica and how cannabis is an integral part of her lifestyle.

Herb: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Cannabis – by Melissa Parks and Laurie Wolf

This combined effort from two notable chefs brings a touch of gourmet elegance to the cannabis kitchen. Outstanding photographs accompany the delicious recipes for appetizers, desserts, drinks, and entrees, making this book not only useful for cooking, but visually appealing as well. Sound information about consistent dosages for infused butters and oils makes this book particularly useful.

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The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook: Feel-Good Food for Home Cooks – by Robyn Griggs Lawrence

This collection of recipes from a dozen chefs and a bartender provides excellent recipes for a range of cuisine and beverages. The book also contains a biography section for the chefs who share their mouth-watering dishes. The range of recipes presented her is bound to please any cannabis-loving foodie.

Miscellaneous Cannabis Books

The cannabis section of a well-stocked bookstore can contain titles that are somewhat unique and more difficult to classify than most. The following titles fall into this category and provide great food for thought on a range of cannabis-related topics.

Beyond Buds, Next Generation: Marijuana Concentrates and Cannabis Infusions – by Ed Rosenthal and Greg Zeman

This book’s title appropriately summing up its content. In its pages you will learn more about the most powerful form of marijuana consumption, concentrates. Explore the various types of marijuana concentrates in the form of shatter, wax, crumble, hash, hash oil, and other products that are now hot items on the inventory lists of dispensaries nationwide.

The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness – by Steve DeAngelo

Authored by a legal cannabis pioneer who founded one of California’s most successful dispensaries, Harborside Health Center, this book digs deep into the history of cannabis use by mankind. It paints an interesting picture of the healing power as well as the controversy that surrounds it. If you're looking for an unconventional and thought-provoking read, this could be a great addition to your reading list,

Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana—Medical, Recreational, and Scientific – by Martin A. Lee

Take a walk down the long and twisted road of cannabis use in America. Lee takes a look at many facets of this controversial plant, from its early recreational use to its modern medicinal use for a range of human conditions. The social aspects of cannabis as well as its science are presented in a thoughtful and intelligent manner.

Marijuana E-Books

For electronic learning enroll at Cannabis Training University to get all your cannabis education online. Cannabis Training University has free marijuana e-books you need to get your cannabis career up and running, or to simply improve your personal cannabis knowledge and skills.

Online Cannabis Training

Weed grow books are more available than ever. Today, you can find a marijuana grow book covering nearly every topic imaginable. Find books on cultivation, extraction, cooking, and more. For a complete guide to growing cannabis, enroll in CTU's online cannabis training courses.

Luis Cordova
Luis Cordova

Luis Cordova is a distinguished author, and renowned expert in cannabis cultivation, who possesses a Master's degree in Plant Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Science. As a valued contributor to highly esteemed publications such as Cannabis Training University and Maximum Yield Magazine, Luis has emerged as a trusted source of guidance and knowledge in the cannabis industry. Having written thousands of informative articles, Luis is widely recognized for his comprehensive expertise on cultivating cannabis, both indoors and outdoors.

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