Cannabis-loving women from history

On this International Women’s Day, let’s pay tribute to the powerful, influential, and artistic women who have enjoyed cannabis throughout history.

Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen was a German woman born in the 12th century. An essayist, author, and composer, she describes in her book *Physica* the impressive potential of hemp’s applications in medicine. She cites it primarily for the stomachaches and headaches.

Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut was the first female pharaoh of ancient Egypt. At that time, cannabis was used to ease labor contractions and facilitate childbirth. In Egyptian medicine, cannabis was also used in its raw form and as an oil for the skin.

Queen Victoria

During the reign of Queen Victoria I, cannabis in the form of a tincture was common in the United Kingdom. It is said that Queen Victoria’s physician, Sir J. Russell Reynolds, prescribed cannabis extracts to her to relieve her painful periods, although there is no significant evidence to support this.

Sir Robert Russell simply wrote extensively about cannabis. He recommended it for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Reynolds wrote about cannabis in The Lancet, one of the oldest and most respected medical journals in the world: «When pure and administered with care, [cannabis] is one of the most valuable medicines we have,» he wrote.

Queen Victoria also granted a knighthood to William O’Shaughnessy for his work in cannabis medicine and on the telegraph in India.

Maya Angelou

Marguerite Johnson, also known as Maya Angelou, was a 20th-century poet who died in 2014. Through her writings, she candidly shares her experiences with marijuana. In her second autobiography Gather together in my name, she describes her feelings after a dinner with friends that she attended with red eyes. »Walking down the street becomes an adventure, enjoying a good meal becomes a treat, and playing with my son is fun.»

Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was an American writer born in 1832. In the short story «Perilous Play,» she describes the relationship of a couple in which one partner is constantly under the influence of THC.  Rose is unable to let go in her relationship and turns to a specialist for help. For this couples therapy session, the doctor advises the couple to eat several pieces of candy, some of which are filled with cannabis.

The story ends with Rose finally managing to fall in love with her partner. He, all smiles, declares «May God bless hashish, if its dreams end like this.».

Margaret Mead

Margaret Mead was an American anthropologist who testified before the Senate in 1969 that cannabis should be legalized. «Cannabis is not harmful as long as it is not consumed in excess.» In her speeches, she criticized prohibition from a unique perspective. According to her, the ban on cannabis was causing significant social divisions between different generations.

And we’ll wrap up by quoting Françoise Sagan: «I don’t see why people are put in prison just because they smoke hashish. It’s the »normal’ people who are abnormal.”