Hemp was a mainstream crop in the late 18th century in America, but the earliest references I can find to people smoking marijuana date in the 20th century. I was once going through old Harper’s Magazine archives, and I did find a late 19th centry article on pot smoking, but it was discussed as a foreign novelty, unknown to Americans.
Did the founders of this country not know of the effects of smoking pot? Am I mistaken as to the nature of hemp, such that it is not grown in conjunction with pot plants (I realize that you can’t get high off of hemp, but I assume that there is some relationship between hemp and pot).
Clearly, the founders were aware of tobacco; it was a major cash crop. Are there any references, then, to “wacky” tobacco in their era - perjorative or otherwise?
This, I’m aware of. But can you grow hemp without growing buds? How are those plants related?
This is what I meant! Thanks. Is there any discussion of imbibing the weed, or is it just a discussion of growing it? I ask because lots of pot smokers I’ve known like to discuss their thoughts while high; the founders were such a philosophical bunch to begin with, I have a hard time imagining that none of them would get high and then not be writing about their ideas. Similarly, I wonder what the perception of pot smoking was among these men. Did they view it as a vice, or as a virtue?
*Some assert his interest in separating the male and female plants is an indication that he may have used Indian hemp medicinally to treat his chronic tooth aches. Others note that fiber of the male and female hemp plants have a different optimum harvest times.
*
If Franklin wasn’t a pot head, then I’ve never met one. Anyone who could write a book on farting is the spiritual heir to Cheech & Chong and Harold & Kumar.
Absolutely George toked weed. Are you kidding me man. He grew fields of fields of that stuff man. That’s what I’m talking about. Fields. The whole country back then was getting high. Let me tell you man, 'cos, 'cos, 'cos he knew. He was on to something man. He knew that it would be a good cash crop for the southern states man. So he grew fields of it man. But you know what? Behind every good man there’s a woman. And that woman was Martha Washington man. And every day George would come home. She’d have a big fat bowl waiting for him man when he’d come in the door man. She was hip, hip, hip lady man.
I wonder if this thread might go better if I had named it differently. I’m not disparaging the posts so far (thanks for responding), but I’m not looking for stoner validation, either.
It just seems curious that something that seems to me should have been commonplace in an agrarian, hemp-growing nation like America completely seemed to lose any public awareness at some point before the 20th century. When the first federal pot laws were passed, the lawmakers were promoting it as a foreign threat (what with Mexicans and their marijuana, or Blacks and their reefer), and nobody seemed to have any concern with outlawing hemp, too.
If there were farmer founders smoking pot, how/why did it disappear from the nation until the early 20th century?
The obvious answer is that there were not farmer founders smoking pot. Think about it: How many historical books have you read? How much Twain, Melville, and other early American writers? How many civil war novels and historical accounts? Any reference to pot? I don’t recall ever seeing one in sources like that. (Admittedly, that’s not something I’d have been seeking, but still…)
If pot smoking were part of this country’s early culture, we’d see it referenced in novels, history books, poetry, early laws, and so forth. It follows that Mary Juanna use must be a 20th century phenomenon.
My grandfather (Pedro) grew and sold weed in the late 40’s. The family story is that my mom chopped some down and fed it to the hogs and those hogs went hog wild over it (and grandpa was pissed). Makes me wonder if those colonial farmers weren’t aware of it’s effects due to similar circumstances. I could easily see it as being used as a oral home remedy type medicene back then but wouldn’t think that anyone would have thought to smoke in when they had fine tobacco available.
Actually, he didn’t – the editors of that book simply chose that one out of a list of recommendations he made, in order to make a somewhat shocking and memorable title. Franklin was unusual and off-the-wall (he wrote satires and even a book on swimming), but I’d call him a nerd rather than a pot head (although I must admit that it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that he did try the Evil Weed).
Mark Twain, o the other hand, did write a book on farting.
That’s not necessarilly true, and in fact, probably couldn’t be farther from the truth. Historically, farmers pulled up male plants on their plots separately from the female plants and used the male plant fibers for fine linens (bedding, hand towels, and clothing). The female plant fibers were used to make coarser fabrics (bags and tarp). As previously mentioned they had different harvest times as well as different growing periods. Being an avid marijuana fan myself I wish it were true, but, it isn’t. :rolleyes:
As far as I can tell, there was no social or legal stigma associated with pot smoking until the 20th century, or perhaps the late 19th century. The founding fathers didn’t seem to be shy about writing about their experiences, so I would be very surprised if they had toked a bit of weed and nothing ever showed up in their writings about it. There was certainly a lot of writing about opium (not from the founders AFAIK) throughout the 1800s, but I’m not aware of much related to marijuana.
There were no real laws against any ‘illegal’ drugs until the 20th century; cocaine and opium were totally legal and sold at most chemists / pharmacists / dentists until the 20s.
I think perhaps that some people conflated tales of smoke - smoking tobacco or pot or both mixed together. Seems a lot of people smoked pipes back then; who knows what was in them?
Modern Pot bears little resemblence to Hemp.