People love consuming marijuana. They always have, and they always will. So, it should come as no surprise the figures we studied in school dabbled in the recreational (and medicinal!) cannabis scene. Here are 10 historical figures who consumed cannabis. Here are some of the most notable examples, from George Washington to Joan of Arc.

George Washington

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After founding our nation, Washington retired to a farm in Mount Vernon. There, he mostly grew hemp. Entries in Washington’s diary strongly suggest he had an affinity for the medical use of marijuana. 

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy, having claimed to receive visions and messages from the Archangel Michael. Although there’s no written record of Joan of Arc consuming cannabis, she came from a village that was well-known for its medicinal herbs,  including cannabis.

Shakespeare

At Shakespeare’s home in Stratford-Upon-Avon, researchers found clay pipes with cannabis residue. When you combine that with the mention of a ‘noted weed’ in one of his sonnets, it’s not hard to imagine Shakespeare enjoying a hand-rolled while doing his writing. Hamlet does seem like the classic stoner.

Alexandre Dumas

Although known primarily for The Three Musketeers andThe Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas was also a hash enthusiast. In fact, he even helped found an organization called the Club des Hashishchins. In English? The Club of Hash-Eaters.

Pharaohs of Egypt

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Egyptian civilization lasted nearly 3000 years, during which time a great number of pharaohs ruled the land around the Nile. When researchers examined the mummy of Ramesses II, cannabis pollen was found in abundance. In addition, medical records from the Egyptians also describe numerous uses for cannabis.

JFK

This one isn’t exactly a secret. Predating the drug war, JFK was said to use marijuana to cope with back pain. In fact, one account from John F. Kennedy: A Biography tells of JFK enjoying three joints with a woman named Mary Meyer.

Carl Sagan

At age 35, astronomer Carl Sagan wrote an essay under a pen name advocating for the legalization of marijuana. In fact, his wife even served on the board of directors at NORML.

Christopher Columbus

When Columbus set sail for the New World, it’s said that he made sure to bring plenty of cannabis seeds. If his crew were to get shipwrecked or marooned, at least they could plant some crops.

Hua Tuo

You may not have heard of him, but Hua Tuo is known for having invented the world’s first anesthetic. The recipe? Powdered cannabis mixed with wine. While it’s not great by modern medicine’s standards, it does sound like a good time.

Queen Victoria

Despite being a symbol of everything prim and proper, Queen Victoria was certainly given cannabis for its medicinal purposes. In fact, her private doctor even went on record as saying: “When pure and administered carefully, [cannabis] is one of the most valuable medicines we possess.”

Hashish has been referred to in stories from ancient times.  Exotic locales like Tangiers, Egypt, the far east…all with whiffs of smokey clouds and a relaxed air.  But what is hashish and is it still consumed today?

Hashish, also known as hash, is a concentrated form of cannabis that has been used for centuries for its psychoactive effects.

Cannabis has a long history of cultivation and use, dating back thousands of years. The use of cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes can be traced back to ancient civilizations in Asia, including China and India. Hashish, specifically, originated in the Middle East and North Africa, where it was traditionally made by collecting the resinous material from cannabis plants.

The person to make hashish known in Europe was Napoleon Bonaparte. The famed French military and political leader. In 1798, Napoleon invaded Egypt with a scientific expedition team.  They conquered the country and looted treasure to bring back to Louvre he remade it to the trove of art known today.

They made another discovery of hashish which had great effect on European culture and literary thought. Prior to the French campaign in Egypt, hashish wasn’t well known in Europe and certainly wasn’t commonly used. The 40,000 French troops stationed in Egypt, however, quickly learned about it. Hashish was ubiquitous in Egypt Hashish was ubiquitous, bought and sold in cafés, markets, and smoking lounges. Lacking access to their customary French wines and liquors and encouraged by Napoleon to embrace Egyptian culture, many French troops took up hashish. When they returned to France and Europe with hashish, it was introduced to a new audience. The public loved it.

Despite efforts by authorities in Europe to paint hashish as an unstable and dangerous substance, many of the Romantic period’s most accomplished artists and writers were brought together because of cannabis. Dubbing themselves Le Club des Hachichins (Hashish-Eaters’ Club), luminaries such as Théophile Gautier, Charles Baudelaire, Gérard de Nerval, Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, and Alexandre Dumas meet an extoll hashish. The Creative set helped normalized marijuana use and popularized the Romantic era’s bohemian creed: l’art pour l’art (art for art’s sake).  Some things never change.

Today, it is recognized as a form of cannabis that contains concentrated amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound. It is often produced by collecting the resinous material from the cannabis plant and then drying and compressing it into various forms. A potent form, it is not suggested for the canna-newbie.

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Smoking hashish can be done in several ways, but the pipe remains the most preferred method of all. Pipes have been around for hundreds of years and were used even by the ancient Egyptians. Another easy way is to take your “hash” and roll it into a joint.

Hashish a ancient and powerful cannabis, so be ready for the journey.

The Titanic continues to stay in the news and in public’s mind. Departing England, the largest unsinkable ship was filled with the celebrities of the day including Astors, a Guggenheim, a Countess, art, fabulous jewels, luxury cars and not enough lifeboats.  After being struck by an iceberg, the liner slipped into the deeps of the very cold Atlantic.  In 1985, the ship was found and some questions about the ship, including, the then surprising news, the ship had broken in two.

As we look back, there is a question, did passengers and crew use marijuana. It definitely would have helped those last few hours.  The answer is, most likely.  Here is why.

During the Edwardian era, cannabis was legal and just another tool in the medical and recreational toolbox.  It was commonly known as cannabis, Indian hemp, or ganja. For the most exotic and potent use it was called hashish. Hashish had grown popular with such luminaries as Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire and Honoré de Balzac being consumers.

Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz brought marijuana and pipe products to the 1872 world’s fair to showcase Ottoman culture. This made Hookahs and Turkish hashish a popular U.S. fad until it was outlawed in the 20s.

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During the construction of the Titanic, you could purchase cocaine products for toothaches, and opium (laudanum) was packed in doses for infants and adults for pain relief and other ailments. Coca Cola, the new popular American drink sweeping the nation had tiny traces of cocaine.  Europe was just heading about the soda and would soon have it first bottling plants in 1919.

One of the most popular Edwardian uses for cannabis was as a foot soak for corns. But it was also sold as a cure for consumption, bronchitis, asthma, veterinary indigestion, and simple coughs. Queen Victoria, whose name stamps a more conservative era, used cannabis at her doctors orders, to help with menstrual cramps and more. Empress Elizabeth of Australia-Hungry, considered to be one of the most beautiful women in Europe, used it for her ongoing cough.  While generally not a fan of medicine, she was more accepting of natural remedies.

Cannabis consumer saw themselves as more “cosmopolitan”. Some men believed cannabis to be a female aphrodisiac. The first class passengers were definitely a more worldly set who collected arts, companies and titled in-laws while looking for the next big thing.

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With a cultured and money audience in first class and a second class that had disposable income, it is almost assured passengers packed cannabis for the trip to help them through the 7 day crossing.  Nausea from seasickness was a key reason for the well heeled to bring a bit of Indian hemp.

In the final hour, it would have been a true benefit to approach the finale with a more chill atmosphere.