Stoners From History
Smoking weed is nothing new, it's been around for a long time. And although it’s only just now becoming more acceptable to openly talk about smoking weed, there is tons of information out there about historical figures who enjoyed smoking weed. This guide will talk about a few stoners from history, and who’s on the list might surprise you.
William Shakespeare
Starting off with the least surprising of the group, William Shakespeare used to enjoy marijuana. If you somehow don’t know who he is, he’s known for being one of the most influential play and poem writers of all time. His work includes the ever-famous Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
We can’t know this for sure, but it’s very possible that Shakespeare used weed to spark his creative thoughts. We know that Shakespeare enjoyed weed because of an examination done by a South African University. The university found 24 pipes in Shakespeare's home, and 8 of them had 400-year-old traces of marijuana. Can you imagine him puffing away on a sherlock pipe?
There may have been clues to this as well; some historians believe that Shakespeare dropped subtle references to the herb in some of his writings. So the next time you’re reading Shakespeare, if you think to yourself, was this guy high writing this? The answer might be yes!
Jame Monroe
James Monroe, the 5th president of the United States, loved weed. He was supposedly first introduced to marijuana during a visit with the french ambassador.
And actually, the story is that they smoked hash together, not just weed, so he started with the strong stuff. Apparently, Monroe enjoyed weed so much that he continued smoking it until he was 73 years old.
If that doesn’t scream bonafide stoner I’m not sure what does. Monroe would be disappointed that even in 2022 many places in the US do not allow marijuana.
John F. Kennedy
30 presidents later we had another bonafide stoner in the white house, John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is an important stoner from history not only because he was a president but because he was one of the most beloved presidents of his time.
Kennedy enjoyed both the recreational and medicinal purposes of weed. It is said that he often smoked weed in the office to alleviate symptoms of Addison’s disease.
That said, there are many accounts of how and when Kennedy smoked his weed, so it’s possible that he smoked much more than anyone might anticipate. Nonetheless, Kennedy loved weed. But the truth is we can't know for sure. It is technically unconfirmed.
Queen Victoria
Sticking with world leaders, Queen Victoria was also a big fan of marijuana. For those unaware of Queen Victoria, she was an incredibly powerful woman who reigned supreme over Ireland and Great Britain for almost 70 years.
She made so many changes in that time that the period is known as the Victorian ages. She supposedly often took cannabis in order to relieve her menstrual cramps. Specifically, she was a fan of Indica strains, she enjoyed the relaxation and pain relief they brought.
Recently, research has confirmed that marijuana can in fact help relieve the pain of menstrual cramping. Sure she may not have had a dab rig for this, but she knew what was good for her. Queen Victoria’s private physician was ahead of the game, however, as he noted that cannabis was “one of the most valuable medicines we possess.” It’s too bad that with all the changes Queen Victoria made, making weed mainstream wasn’t one of them, especially considering how much it helped her.
Francis Crick
Francis Crick was the scientist who played a large role in uncovering the shape of the double helix in DNA strands. For this accomplishment, he received a nobel prize, and deservedly so as this was groundbreaking news for the world of genetics.
And though Francis never openly discussed using marijuana it is well known that he did in fact enjoy it often. As a scientist, he was bound to experiment and when he experimented with marijuana the word on the street is that he enjoyed it.
There are even some who claim that he took interest and experimented with LSD. Either way, it’s awesome that Crick smoked weed because it totally nips the lazy stoner stereotype in the bud. If Crick can smoke weed and win a Nobel prize then maybe weed isn’t just for relaxing!
Carl Sagan
Another brilliant mind, Carl Sagan, openly enjoyed smoking marijuana. Sagan was an astronomer and astrophysicist.
He has published many books and is well known for his work regarding extraterrestrial life. Sagan also wrote an essay expressing his support for the legalization of marijuana while giving his account of what smoking the herb felt like.
The interesting thing about this essay is that it wasn’t until 3 years after he died that people started realizing he was the author of it. Sagan even wrote that marijuana inspired him and helped him to come up with some of his best ideas.
Abraham Lincoln
Perhaps the most surprising name on the list to many is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln isn’t a confirmed stoner, but there is a lot of evidence pointing to him being one.
One piece of evidence is that he wrote in a letter in 1855 that said that one of his favorite things to do was smoke a pipe full of hemp on his front porch. In addition to this, Lincoln lived in a time when the cultivation of hemp was running rampant, and tons of people smoked it.
So in all likelihood, with it being the case that there was plenty of hemp around and a letter confirming that he enjoyed smoking it, it seems safe to say that Lincoln smoked weed.
Conclusion
Don’t judge a book by its cover. There are plenty of people who might not seem like they smoke weed but do (and they’re maybe even stoners).
This includes historical figures like world-famous scientists, famous writers, and even presidents and the leader of Great Britain. Back a few hundred years ago more leaders openly smoked weed because there wasn’t yet a taboo towards it, it hadn’t become politicized.
That should tell you all you need to know about the current marijuana laws, they’re stupid! Regardless, it’s pretty cool and interesting to hear about nobel prize winners enjoying weed. Next time you’re wondering if you should smoke some weed just remember all the great historical figures who have and how it helped them.
