Historical figures who used cannabis

People love to use marijuana. They always have and always will. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the numbers we examined at school dealt with the recreational (and medicinal!) cannabis scene. Here are 10 historical figures who used cannabis. Here are some of the most notable examples, from George Washington to Joan of Arc.

george washington

Photo by 905513 via Pixabay

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After the founding of our nation, Washington retired to a farm in Mount Vernon. There he mainly grew hemp. Entries in Washington’s diary strongly suggest that he had an affinity for the medicinal uses of marijuana.

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy after claiming to have received visions and messages from the Archangel Michael. Although there is no written record of Joan of Arc using cannabis, she came from a village known for its medicinal herbs, including cannabis.

Shakespeare

Researchers found clay pipes containing cannabis residue at Shakespeare’s home in Stratford-upon-Avon. Couple that with the mention of a “famous weed” in one of his sonnets, and it’s not hard to imagine Shakespeare enjoying a hand-rolled song as he wrote it. Hamlet seems to be the classic stoner.

Alexandre Dumas

Although best known for The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas was also a hash enthusiast. In fact, he even helped found an organization called the Club des Hashishchins. In English? The hash eaters club.

Pharaohs of Egypt

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The Egyptian civilization lasted almost 3000 years. During this time, numerous pharaohs ruled over the land around the Nile. When researchers examined the mummy of Ramses II, cannabis pollen was found in abundance. In addition, Egyptian medical records also describe numerous uses of cannabis.

JFK

It’s not exactly a secret. Even before the drug war, JFK is said to have used marijuana for back pain. In fact, a report from “John F. Kennedy: A Biography” recounts that JFK enjoyed three joints with a woman named Mary Meyer.

Carl Sagan

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At the age of 35, astronomer Carl Sagan wrote an essay under a pseudonym advocating the legalization of marijuana. In fact, his wife was a member of NORML’s board of directors.

Christoph Columbus

When Columbus set off for the New World, he is said to have made sure to bring plenty of cannabis seeds with him. Should his crew be shipwrecked or stranded, they could at least grow some crops.

Hua Tuo

You may not have heard of him before, but Hua Tuo is known for inventing the world’s first anesthetic. The recipe? Powdered cannabis mixed with wine. While not great by the standards of modern medicine, it sounds like a good time.

Queen Victoria

Portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter via Wikimedia

Although Queen Victoria was a symbol of all things plain and simple, she certainly obtained cannabis for medicinal purposes. In fact, her private doctor even disclosed that he said: “If administered neat and carefully, [cannabis] is one of the most valuable medicines we own.”