# our forefathers and drugs... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989 "2003-04-07T03:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![griffith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@griffith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffith)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/1 "2003-04-07T03:46:17Z")
i have often heard through the years that some of our forefathers, (ie. george washington and thomas jefferson), were known to have drug addictions, been hemp farmers , cocaine users or something altogether different. it all depends on who i talk to as to what drug they used or grew. is there any truth to this or is this just some pro-drug propaganda …?? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/2 "2003-04-07T12:31:20Z")
Hemp was grown quite exensively in the colonies and Washington certain grew it at Mt. Vernon. However, it was grown to make rope; it’s unlikely in the extreme that Washington smoked it. I’m not even sure people knew it could be used as an intoxicant in his day. Cocaine was definitely not used: it wasn’t synthesized until 1855. Coca leaves were chewed, but not in the colonies. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/3 "2003-04-07T12:47:27Z")
Dude!, Like, GW & TJ were into the weed! They grew it! TJ would, like kick back, smoke a d00b, and be like, “man that Sally sure is hot!” And GW, like, have you seen pictures of Martha? Like, I’d have to be baked to tap that… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/4 "2003-04-07T13:05:30Z")
If li’l Tommy Jefferson wasn’t high, how could he have come up with something as ridiculous as “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” etc. Had to have been seeing things in many-colours to have thought that we have “certain inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” How far out can you get? ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/5 "2003-04-07T13:09:34Z")
> [@](#): > > However, it was grown to make rope; it’s unlikely in the extreme that Washington smoked it. What about this fairly famous quote from Washington’s Diaries: > [@](#): > > Aug. 7: Began to separate the Male from the Female hemp at Muddy hole–rather too late. Why would you separate the male from the female if it was to be used for rope making? ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/6 "2003-04-07T14:10:04Z")
Not to stray too far off the topic, but I’ve heard that some Native American pipes have been found with marijuana resin in them. Is this true? Certainly, they knew about plants that had various effects on them, including psychodelic, was marijuana one of them? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-forefathers-and-drugs/166989/7 "2003-04-07T14:58:48Z")
George Washington was a habitual user of opium (laudanum). Jefferson grew acres of marijuanna/hemp. * * * More to the point: neither of them, nor any founding father, ever tried, or wanted, to outlaw the possession, ownership, or use of any material inanimate object/drug/gun.