* This message forwarded from private area of Rich Woods
  * Original message dated 06 Dec 96  23:34:11, from Rgivens@sirius.com
 
 Apparently-to: rich.woods@245.genesplicer.org
From: rgivens@sirius.com
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 23:34:11 -0800
"American High Society," pp. 192-193 from "Hemp: Lifeline to the Future,"
by Chris Conrad, 1994, Creative Expressions Publications, $12.95 from FS
Book Company, Sacramento, 1-800-635-8883 credit cards, 916-771-4203
customer service. (I have no financial or other interest in FS; it's just
that they have good service and ship stuff out the same day - Phil Smith):
Quoted verbatim:
The extent of cannabis smoking during the Colonial era is still subject to
debate. President George Washington wrote a letter that contained an
oblique reference to what may have been hashish. "The artificial
preparation of hemp, from Silesia, is really a curiosity." (*38) Washington
made specific written references to Indian hemp, or cannabis indica, and
hoped to "have disseminated the seed to others. " (*39) His August 7, 1765
diary entry, "began to separate the male from the female (hemp) plants,"
describes a harvesting technique favored to enhance the potency of smoking
cannabis, among other reasons. (*40) Hemp farmer Thomas Jefferson and paper
maker Ben Franklin were ambassadors to France during the initial surge of
the hashish vogue. Their celebrity status and progressive revolutionary
image afforded them ample opportunities to try new experiences. Jefferson
smuggled Chinese hemp seeds to America and is credited with the phrase in
the Declaration of Independence, "Life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness."
[I'm told this has been attributed to someone else - Phil Smith]
Did the Founding Fathers of the United States of America smoke cannabis?
Some researchers think so. Dr. Burke, president of the American Historical
Reference Society and a consultant for the Smithsonian Institute, counted
seven early presidents as cannabis smokers: George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor and
Franklin Pierce. (*41) "Early letters from our founding fathers refer to
the pleasures of hemp smoking," said Burke. Pierce, Taylor and Jackson, all
military men, smoked it with their troops. Cannabis was twice as popular
among American soldiers in the Mexican War as in Vietnam: Pierce wrote to
his family that it was "about the only good thing" about that war.
Central and Western African natives were farming and harvesting cannabis
sativa in North America as slaves. If they did smoke on the plantations,
that would be kept secret. (*42) By the time of the Louisiana purchase in
1803, New Orleans had a mixed Spanish, French, Creole, Cajun, Mexican and
Black population. The city teemed with adventurers and sailors, wise to the
ways of cannabis. It was mixed with tobacco or smoked alone, used to season
food (*43), to treat insomnia and impotence, and so on.
Cannabis was mentioned as a medicinal agent in a formal American medical
text as early as 1843. (*44)
*38 A region now shared by Germany & Poland. Letter to Dr. James Anderson,
May 26, 1794. in Writings of George Washington. Washington DC. vol. 33. p.
384.
*39 Ibid. vol. 35. p. 72
*40 Such as creating more space for females to flower for seed production,
or to take advantage of the male fiber before it overmatures in the field.
*41 Burke asserted that Washington & Jefferson were said to exchange
smoking blends as personal gifts. Washington reportedly preferred a pipe
full of "the leaves of hemp" to alcohol, & wrote in his diaries that he
enjoyed the fragrance of hemp flowers. Madison once remarked that hemp gave
him insight to create a new & democratic nation. Monroe, creator of the
Monroe Doctrine, began smoking it as Ambassador to France & continued to
the age of 73. Burke. "Pot & Presidents." in 'Green Egg.' CA. June 21, 1975
*42 "That might explain some cultural differences." Aldrich, Michael, Ph.D.
'On use of marijuana by slaves in colonial times.' in Best of High Times.
vol. 10. 1991. p. 61
*43 Hakluyt, 'Divers voyages touching the discoverie of America.' London 1582
*44 Pereira, J. 'Elements of Materia Medica & Therapeutics. ' Lea &
Blanchard. Philadelphia PA 1843
I'm going to post this as a web page at
http://www.pantless.com/~pdxnorml/7_presidents.html
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