Very often we are convinced that people advocating for the herbs is a recent phenomenon. But throughout history there have been multiple prominent figures in different spheres of life, be it arts, music, psychology, astronomy and so on, who have defended using the herbs we have been blessed by mother earth with and using them to advance their work, or just take a recreational break. Let’s dive into the top 10 prominent figures through history who were smokers:
10. MORGAN FREEMAN
Believe it or not, the legendary actor has spoken openly about using the herb for pain relief. In 2015, when most herb-loving actors were still afraid to share their affinity for the plant, Freeman came out in defense, saying it should be legalized and that it is much safer than alcohol.
He told the Daily Beast that his first wife got him into the plant years ago and that he uses it for fibromyalgia pain.
9. JOHN LENNON
While less frequently-cited in herb-loving lists, John Lennon of the Beatles was famously busted for possessing herbs in 1968. Police read the warrant through Lennon’s bedroom window as he was trying to get rid of the evidence. According to his biography, he used the herbs for experimentation and creative influence, and his very public run-ins with the law contributed to the counter-cultural narrative of the 1960s and 70s.
8. CARL SAGAN
One of the most intellectually notable herb users, astronomer Carl Sagan wrote under the pseudonym “Mr. X” about his herb usage in his 1971 book. According to his biographer, Sagan found the plant helpful to fuel his creativity and deepen his appreciation for art, food, and scientific ideas.
Sagan said the herb inspired some of his intellectual work:
“I can remember one occasion, taking a shower with my wife while high, in which I had an idea on the origins and invalidities of racism in terms of gaussian distribution curves," wrote the former Cornell University professor. "I wrote the curves in soap on the shower wall, and went to write the idea down."
7. MAYA ANGELOU
Author, poet and civil-rights activist Maya Angelou admitted in her memoir Gather Together in my Name that she used the herb in her youth. She said that smoking eased her emotional strain and brought her a kind of sensual, calming joy. Describing the first time she inhaled in 1946, she “learned new postures and developed new dreams.” After a childhood filled with trauma, the herb allowed Angelou to “melt into a grinning tolerance”. As she put it herself, “for the first time, life amused her”.
6. WILLIE NELSON
Country music legend Willie Nelson has been a vocal supporter and lifelong user of the herb. He has long advocated for legalization, even launching his own herb brand, Willie’s Reserve. In 1979, Willie Nelson went to the roof of the White House and smoked with President Jimmy Carter’s son.
Nelson’s love of green was merely one aspect of the offbeat perspective he brought to country music. After briefly quitting music in 1970, in part due to his frustrations with the traditional nature of Nashville country music, he settled in Austin, Texas, and began to experiment, mixing jazz, blues and gospel into his country music.
5. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Yeah, this one is surprising! William Shakespeare has been admired and adapted across cultures and generations. It’s with little dissonance that Shakespeare is widely considered the greatest writer and dramatist of all time. It’s only right that history’s greatest writer has, in recent years, been discovered as one of history's greatest smokers. After examining pipes found in the Bard’s old Stratford home, evidence suggests that there were traces of herbs in the paraphernalia.
4. BARACK OBAMA
In the 2013 biography Barack Obama: The Story, young Barack was described as a champion smoker – enjoying the sticky sweet perks of his Hawaiian home. Since leaving office, he’s even mused on his high times in a 2017 discussion with University of Chicago students. But he’s not the only US President on the record as having enjoyed a toke or two. George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy are all known to have inhaled. George Washington, along with other founding fathers, had his own crop of hemp. For all we know, America was formed within a cloud of smoke!
3. BOB MARLEY
Possibly the most well-known herb lover, Marley doesn’t just view the plant as a recreational choice, but as a spiritual sacrament, deeply linked to his faith, his music and his political messages.
This is because Marley was a devoted Rastafarian. In Rastafari, the herb is a holy plant used in religious rituals, meditation, and reasoning sessions. Rastafarians believe it brings them closer to Jah (God) to help deepen their spiritual understanding. He believed “When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself”
2. LOUIS ARMSTRONG
Jazz legend Louis Armstrong had a well-known relationship with the herb. Reports suggest he smoked in his early days, and his biography recounts at least one arrest in 1930 involving the plant. His music and public presence gave a cultural visibility to herb use, especially in the jazz world.
Armstrong was arrested in 1930, along with drummer Vic Berton, outside the Cotton Club in Culver City, Calif. Allegedly, according to Berton's brother Ralph, Berton and the famous jazz musician spent the night "laughing it up" in a cell, where they were kept overnight after the arrest, because "they were still high." A judge gave them each six-month jail sentences (which were later suspended) and a $1,000 fine.
1. STEVE JOBS
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs experimented with the herb (and other substances) during his younger years. According to declassified FBI and Pentagon documents, he smoked with friends and even ate brownies. Jobs later credited these experiences with stimulating his creativity and helping him think differently about design and innovation.
CONCLUSION
While some figures smoked to inspire themselves and be more creative, others looked to the herbs for spirituality and healing. There were also historic figures who worked their entire lives to normalize the herb in public.
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