You already know that cannabis promotes creativity, you’ve channeled your inner Martha Stewart and have slayed 5 crafts to try while high, and because you’re a friend of anything artsy you’ve already seen 5 incredible art exhibits in Washington. You, our friend, are doing it right. Very right.
When choosing the theme of art + cannabis for the month of May, we wanted to make sure that we didn’t solely focus on the visual arts. There are, afterall, seven recognized forms of art including painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, music, cinema, and theater. (Although, we’d argue that the art of rolling the perfect joint deserves recognition too.)
Today’s art + cannabis blog is all about literature. But, before your eyes roll back in your head thinking about all the stuffy books you were forced to read in High School and write double-spaced essays about, we thought you might want to know that some of those authors were super hiiiiiiiigh.
Famous Authors Who Partake
Hunter S Thompson
Hunter will always be at the top of any “authors who smoke weed” list. His way with weed and words has made him one of America’s most iconic writers. His most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, is touted as being a drug fueled-adventure seeking the American Dream.
“I have always loved cannabis. It has been a source of joy and comfort to me for many years. And I still think of it as a basic staple of life, along with beer and ice and grapefruits – and millions of Americans agree with me.”
We couldn’t agree more, Hunter.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was an author, poet, playwright, actress, activist, dancer, director, and all around amazing woman. The way she spun words into story, prose, and poem was captivating, honest, and beautiful. In addition to being a truly remarkable author and human being, one of her many admirable qualities was her openness about cannabis use.
“The weed always had an intense and immediate effect…Before the cigarette was smoked down to roach length, I had to smother my giggles.”
Angelou’s famous works include I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, And Still I Rise, The Heart of a Woman, and On the Pulse of Morning. If you’re looking to be inspired, entertained, motivated to speak up for those who cannot, or called to activism, look no further than Maya Angelou.
Stephen King
“I think that cannabis should not only be legal, I think it should be a cottage industry”.
Arguably the most recognizable author of horror, Stephen King’s style of writing adds the perfect amount of mystery, macabre, and “what the fuckery” to this list. With popular works like It, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, and Pet Semetary, King has something for everyone seeking a spooky and eerie experience.
Pro Tip: If you’re prone to paranoia while smoking it up, perhaps you should avoid reading any of King’s works until you’re less influenced and in a safe space. If you happen to experience paranoia with cannabis, talk to any of our budtenders who will recommend strains less likely to give you a case of the “what was thats?!!”
William Shakespeare
“Those who is’t smoketh cannabis art joyous people.” (A made up, but totally realistic, quote from Shakespeare.)
There’s been a lot of speculation over the ages about whether or not William Shakespeare imbibed in the devil’s lettuce. Many Shakespear enthusiasts have combed his works for clues affirming that The Bard was a midnight toker but only produced vague references that are left up to the reader’s interpretation.
BUT NOW WE HAVE SCIENTIFIC PROOF HE PUFFED!
Centuries-old pipes that were found in Shakespeare’s garden and excavated by anthropologists were tested by scientists. The tests revealed that several of the samples from the pipes contained cannabis. It’s science people! Old Billy Shakes waseth a potheadeth.
Carl Sagan
“The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.”
Not only was Carl Sagan a famous American astronomer and extraterrestrial intelligence enthusiast, he was also an author and cannabis advocate. While most of his works are non-fiction, he did pen a science fiction novel titled Contact which was made into a film starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey.
If you’re looking for a fun adventure, consume your finest strain and read any of Sagan’s non-fiction works and you’ll be thrust down a black rabbit hole of outer space, the search for intelligent life in other galaxies, and the mysticism of the far beyond.
