March, 1850. A group of revellers celebrated Mardi gras at a Paris cafe… After drinking “copious” rounds of “flaming punch”, all were generally “prepared for anything or everything” until a local physician arrived with a powerful cannabis concoction. The good doctor had acquired some potent “hashish extract” and, in the name of science, had “resolved upon tryingRead more
In October 1969, the Le Dain Commission kicked off its nationwide inquiry with testimony from Assistant RCMP Commissioner Rene Raoul Carriere. Carriere first conceded that “cannabis causes no known and demonstrated pathological effects.” However, he continued that its use must be “halted at all cost” on moral grounds, and that the burden of permanent criminal recordsRead more
Back in the day, most people trying cannabis for the first time had no idea how much to take. When hasheesh eating became popular amongst Westerners in the 19th century, many newcomers ate far too much and, inevitably, some strange tales emerged… such as that of poor Mr. Binns. MR. BINNS TRIES HASHEESH New York Times, March 7,Read more
In 1880s New York, rumours began to circulate of opium dens that were were being transformed into “hasheesh houses.” An intrepid reporter decided to investigate, and while smoking a “piece of hasheesh as large as an acorn” at a “luxurious establishment in Lexington Avenue” he discovered that lawyers, politicians, actors, men about town, actresses, singers,Read more
