George Washington is one of America’s most celebrated founding fathers, known for his leadership during the Revolutionary War and his presidency. However, few people know that he also had ties to hemp. In fact, Washington grew hemp himself, and he grew it on his plantation in Mount Vernon.
Hemp was a versatile crop in colonial America, used for making textiles, paper, and even ship sails. Washington recognized the value of this crop and actively promoted its cultivation. He even went as far as to make it mandatory for farmers in Virginia to grow hemp. Washington’s passion for hemp farming was not unique, and many of his contemporaries, particularly those in politics and other highly visible positions of fame or notoriety, also had connections to hemp and/or cannabis.
One such figure was Thomas Jefferson, who also grew hemp on his plantation in Virginia. Jefferson was fascinated by the plant’s potential uses and even wrote extensively about it in his journals. Benjamin Franklin was another prominent figure who was a fan of hemp. He started one of America’s first paper mills using hemp as the primary raw material. Even Presidents James Madison and James Monroe were known to have cultivated hemp on their respective plantations. These historical figures all saw the potential of hemp, recognizing it as a valuable resource that could help grow the young nation.
Far before the time of Washington and his peers, other notable figures throughout history have similarly been associated with cannabis in one manner or another. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci was believed to have used cannabis for medicinal purposes, while William Shakespeare made several references to the plant in his writings. In fact, it’s believed that the famous line “And, like a weed, I have grown up since” from Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” is a reference to the cannabis plant.
Despite the historical significance of hemp and its many uses, attitudes towards the plant began to change in the early 20th century. People like William Randolph Hearst, who held prominent offices and powerful positions, began to campaign against the plant. They claimed that cannabis use led to madness and criminality, and their fearmongering ultimately led to the draconian war on drugs that we see today.
The war on drugs has wrought so much pain and turmoil in the lives of Americans for generations. It has disproportionately affected communities of color and led to mass incarceration. It is a far cry from the liberties that the founding fathers, including George Washington, fought for when they founded this nation. Washington, in particular, placed great importance on personal liberty and freedom, values that are now at odds with the government’s stance on cannabis.
While we cannot know for certain what the founding fathers would think about cannabis today, we can be sure that they would prioritize personal liberty and freedom above all else. It’s likely that they would be disappointed to see how something that grows naturally from the ground has become so controlled and regulated by municipal powers. The founding fathers believed that personal liberty and freedom were the cornerstones of a democratic society, and the federal government’s continued prohibition of cannabis runs counter to those ideals, to say the least.
