 |
We’re pretty sure that this story in the Silverton Standard from January of 1890 was meant to scare people.
But as is the case with a lot of these old pieces, they actually do a great job of selling us on the amazing effects of cannabis.
Even if they aren’t exactly accurate.
A few things we learned from this informative piece:
• Marijuana’s effects are geographically determined. If you’re in Turkey, you’re going to have a pleasant buzz. If you’re in the West, you’re not going to like it very much at all.
• Marijuana was given to soldiers to “destroy their fear and fill them with supernatural frenzy.”
• Turkish people love weed.
• “It often brings hallucinations the reverse of pleasant”
 |
The article goes on to tell five cautionary tales. The first is about a woman who thought her body was split into two. The lower half ran off and she couldn’t figure out how to get it back. Eventually she passed out and all was okay the next day.
The second story features a “Mrs. R,” who thought her toes were leaving her body one by one. Then her legs left. Then her fingers, arms and body, until all that was left was her heart. She then woke up. From a dream. And that seems to be the biggest fear the piece cites: that you’ll have a slightly fucked-up dream.
“These dreams were undoubtedly terrible on account of the innate fear of death,” the author writes.
The third story tells about a man who walked ten miles and met with friends along the way but had no recollection of how he had ended up across town by the time his journey was finished. Oh, the horror. The fourth story is similar, though the man couldn’t determine distance and had to be helped out of the street by passersby. Neither story gives names, dates or locations for the incidents.
The finest story, however, comes from a doctor who used herb to get rid of a headache. We’ve reproduced it below for you fine people. Enjoy.
 |
 |
 |
For more Colorado cannabis history, check out our Cannabis Time Capsule archive.
Cannabis Time Capsule, 1890: "True" tales of marijuana's horrors
No comments:
Post a Comment