# Why the Canadian flag has a cannabis leaf on it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403 "2000-12-13T20:41:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![stormy652](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@stormy652](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stormy652)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/21 "2000-12-16T00:46:59Z")
Now Welfy, would you do that because trailer park kids are stupid or because pot smokers are stupid? If it’s because pot smokers are stupid, I have some SAT scores to show you…God I’m starting arguments now. Maybe there’s something interesting outside… ::Walks off:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/22 "2000-12-16T01:38:21Z")
I must admit, our friends to the north produce a fine product indeed. I was quite impressed with the “Nunavut Tundrafuck” that I sampled from a bong made out of a narwahl horn. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/23 "2000-12-16T09:06:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baker \* > \*\*It was Zonker, not Mike Doonesbury, who showed off Walden Commune’s “pot plant” to Roland Hedley. \*\* Mea culpa. Mea summa culpa. You’re right, of course, **Baker**. Thanks for the correction. [sub]Zonker! Of course it was Zonker![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Alpha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Alpha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/24 "2000-12-16T10:15:35Z")
It’s based on the symbol of the 67 Worlds Fair, but with fewer colors. (That one looked more like a patchworkquilt) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/25 "2001-01-12T17:53:35Z")
Actually, it wasn’t based on the Expo symbol. Maple leaves have been part of Canadian iconography for more than a hundred years. Check out the Canadian (and Ontarian) coats of arms for an example. If I’m not mistaken, there were maple leaves on the Canadian coat of arms that was used on the Red Ensign, the Canadian flag that preceded our current one. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/26 "2001-01-12T17:58:32Z")
HAH! I TOLD everybody it was **Uniball** who started this thread! But did they believe me? Oh, no. “The old duffer’s losing it,” they said, “ **Ukulele Ike** is muttering into his beer again.” But NO! **Uniball** it is! Now I have to go over to “Comments on Cecil’s Column” and gloat some more. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/27 "2001-01-13T06:22:28Z")
I KNOW this one. Or I used to know it… damn this short-term memory loss. Hee hee hee. Man, am I hungry. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/28 "2001-01-13T07:18:34Z")
The reason is obvious, we are trying to convince the Jamaicans to merge with us (not so much for the ganga as for the possibility of escaping winter without a passport) – and we are sucking up to the Rastas… such a silly! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/29 "2001-01-13T07:55:28Z")
This reminds me of a something Alan Rock (Canada’s health minister) said on a talk show recently. He was asked about the prospect of legal use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and if he had ever used marijuana. His reply: “I have never used marijuana for medicinal purposes.” Neat. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/30 "2001-01-20T05:21:31Z")
Duke asked: > [@](#): > > How many of us wouldn’t take cannabis rosin over maple syrup? Well I wouldn’t. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/31 "2001-01-20T17:13:41Z")
The symbol for the five colleges (Hampshire, UMass, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Amherst) used to be this odd flower/leaf thing that looked like a pot leaf. Apparently familiar with the stereotypes of one of those colleges, the schools got together and changed it to something more decent looking. You can see the new one [here](http://www.fivecolleges.edu/fcolcc.html/)–it’s in the top left corner. Not drug related at all. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/32 "2001-01-21T17:05:15Z")
“Why the Canadian flag has a cannabis leaf on it?” This is actually a recent Cecil column. As to why it appears in this forum too, rather than his forum, is a mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/33 "2001-01-21T17:12:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*“Why the Canadian flag has a cannabis leaf on it?” > > This is actually a recent Cecil column. As to why it appears in this forum too, rather than his forum, is a mystery. \*\* Because it was here first. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/34 "2001-01-23T02:31:24Z")
You can also check out this thread: [Canada’s Marijuana Party](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=51653). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403/35 "2001-01-23T03:36:45Z")
Here’s the link to the “Cecil’s columns” thread: [Canabis leaf?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1077023#post1077023). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-canadian-flag-has-a-cannabis-leaf-on-it/45403.md?page=1)