Many people travel to Washington D.C. every year to learn about our country’s origins and see its wealth of historical knowledge. However one thing you won’t see on any statue or plaque is the history of cannabis use in the capitol. It’s no secret that the United States was founded on a love of cannabis. The founding fathers were all in on this one.
George Washington
You all know George Washington. He was the first president of the United States, and he also grew hemp. In fact, he was a pretty big fan of growing hemp—he called it “the female plant” and grew it on his farm at Mount Vernon to make rope and fabric for clothing.
But did you know that George Washington was also one of America’s earliest marijuana smokers? The president enjoyed smoking cannabis in his free time, but he wasn’t just smoking joints like you would today—he rolled them himself. As president, Washington used tobacco mixed with other herbs like oregano or parsley as a kind of rolling paper (this method is still used today).
George Washington even noted the high value of cannabis cultivation in a journal entry from his personal diary back in 1765!
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a farmer, scientist and author of some of the most important documents in American history. As president of the United States from 1801 to 1809, he oversaw much of our early development as a country and set us on the path toward becoming an agricultural superpower. He also smoked pot.
I know this because I’m currently reading The Hemperor: Hemp & The Marijuana Revolution by Michael Pertschuk (the former director of California NORML), who writes that Jefferson grew hemp at his plantation Monticello—and even advocated for its cultivation by Americans. He wrote letters extolling its virtues; he sent seeds all around the country; he even wrote part of his Declaration Of Independence on hemp paper! And you thought George Washington was your favorite founding father?
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, you might know him as a founding father of the United States, a diplomat, scientist and politician. But did you know that he was also an author? And not just any author—he was a printer and publisher too. As if this wasn’t enough to make him influential in American history, Franklin is credited with inventing bifocal eyeglasses (and possibly other inventions). He also holds patents on his inventions and discoveries!
Franklin’s greatest accomplishment was perhaps being one of only three people who signed both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. It’s safe to say that this guy knew what he was doing when it came to politics and philosophy.
Before finding fame in America as an inventor/scientist/politician/philosopher extraordinaire (you get the point), Franklin moved from Boston where he was born at Age 10 or 11 (depending on which source you read) all the way across country from Massachusetts Bay Colony where he grew Hemp! With its versatility for textiles such as cloth or rope production – hemp makes up approximately 25% by mass according hemp-based paper making technology used today
James Madison
Madison was a founding father of the United States and the main author of the Bill of Rights. In 1765, he became a prominent member of the Continental Congress under John Hancock, who was president at that time. Madison was known for growing large amounts of hemp on his plantation (which also included wheat and corn).
Barack Obama
You know who we’re talking about. The man who has openly admitted to smoking cannabis in his younger years and doesn’t regret it one bit. President Barack Obama has said that he does not believe cannabis is any more harmful than alcohol, which is also legal but can kill you if you binge drink enough to pass out on your keyboard (we’ve all been there). While he never made a public statement opposing legalization, he did issue a memo outlining federal policy following states’ adoption of medical or recreational laws. In this memo, he stated that the DOJ was not going to challenge state rules as long as they kept the industry tightly regulated and taxed—a position that was welcomed by both sides of the political spectrum since it meant no extra headaches for businesses or consumers.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush has said that he smoked cannabis in his younger years. He has also said that he smoked it to relieve stress and was curious about the effects of the drug.
Bush, who served as president from 2001 to 2009 and is now a grandfather, was once young and a bit more wild. In an interview with biographer Mark Updegrove for “The Last Republicans,” published by Harper Collins on Tuesday (March 27), Bush told him that he first tried marijuana at age 40 while serving as an oil company executive in Texas in the 1970s.
The Republican leader said he smoked weed “on a few occasions” while living in Midland, Texas, where he worked for an oil services company known as Zapata Offshore Co., according to The Guardian newspaper. His admission comes after previously admitting only to drinking alcohol and not smoking cigarettes during his presidency because of concerns over what it might do to his image with voters
Bill Clinton
“I didn’t inhale,” as Clinton famously told a reporter in 1992. But just how much did he smoke? In high school, President Clinton was suspended for smoking pot at school and was also arrested for possession of marijuana.
Bonus Info – The Vice Presidents
In addition to our list of favorite presidents- yes we did just say they are our favorite presidents because they weren’t afraid to admit they smoked cannabis; we have added the Vice Presidents of the United States who have spoken on their personal cannabis consumption.
Al Gore
You might have heard that Al Gore smoked pot. If you didn’t, now you do. In an interview with The New York Times Magazine in 2017, Gore said he had tried marijuana when he was young and “not inhaled.” He also said that he’d used cannabis as an alternative painkiller because of a shoulder injury while serving in Vietnam: “I did inhale; I just didn’t smoke it,” he joked.
Gore’s advocacy for climate change mitigation has earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, but his candid admission of cannabis consumption (and his clever quips) show us how to talk about the drug without feeling like we’re breaking your parents’ rules or getting into trouble at school.
Kamala Harris
You may know Kamala Harris is the current Vice President of the United States, but do you know she has also mentioned that she smoked cannabis in college?
In fact, she has said several times during her campaign that she supports legalization and regulation.
That concludes our list of presidents who grew or smoked cannabis. It’s sad that so many Americans still think people are lying to them about the plant and its benefits, but at least we have this list as proof that there are many people in positions of power who stand behind what we believe in! Just because our founding fathers walked around Washington D.C. smoking cannabis at will does not mean you can do the same. If you plan on consuming cannabis in Washington D.C., NEVER consume on federal property! That might just be the last joint you smoke!
