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.”

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 loved cannabis. Here are some of the most notable examples, from George Washington to Joan of Arc.

George Washington

RELATED: 5 Pro-Tips To Come Down From A Marijuana High Quickly

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

RELATED: These 10 Celebs Shamelessly Love Weed More Than You

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.”

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.

RELATED: TSA And Cannabis: What You Need To Know

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.