1.3 - THOMAS JEFFERSON,   WAS HE A DRUG SMUGGLER?
George Washington wasn’t the only Virginian of note, to grow Industrial hemp at the time.   Thomas Jefferson (Americans 3rd President) was also a Hemp grower, and as shocking as this sounds, "A Marihuana Drug Smuggler".

While we have not been able to obtain solid evidence to that effect, in the museums opinion, (given today’s definition of the term) the answer is YES.   Without a doubt, Tomas Jefferson (our nations 3d President) by today’s definition WAS INDEED a Marihuana Drug smuggler.

And while we might be accused of it, our purpose here is not to denigrate or in any other way demote the stature of the man.   While a complex man, (i.g. he owned slaves), one who fought valiantly for the things that he believed in.   If ever the expression, “Radicalism in Defense of Liberty, is Not A VICE”, applied, it applied to him.   However (by today’s standards), his actions would still be wrong and punishable as a crime.

Need proof, --Do a simple web-search under the name, “Marc Scott Emery” (publisher of Cannabis Culture Magazine) and see what comes up.   Essentially both did the same thing, both are guilty of the same crime.   Both therefore (by the DEA’s own definition), ARE MARIHUANA DRUG PEDDLERS.   And the same thing can be said about numerous others out there (many of them Cancer patients), who also have sought to do the right thing.

So what proof do we have that Thomas Jefferson was a Drug Smuggler?   Let us begin with a word of caution.   On numerous occasions (we at this museum) have found some of the must ridiculous things being circulated on the Internet.   It appears that some drunk would say something at a party, another drunk would repeat it, and then someone would post it up on the Internet etc., and from there everyone starts quoting it as if it were fact. . . . Numerous Internet websites state (something) as follows:

“ Thomas Jefferson . . . while Ambassador to France, hired Turkish smugglers to buy and bring back Cannabis seeds from China . . which at the time had the best Industrial Hemp plants anywhere . . . so much so, that China (wanting to keep its monopoly), made it a death penalty offence to export any such seeds .. . . . Thus Jefferson risked life and limp to smuggle such seeds etc. . . .”

Yet none seem to be able to establish exactly where this information came from.   Did Thomas Jefferson (or in this case, his Turkish agents), risk life and limp to smuggle the Hemp seeds?   Is there any proof that he actually did?   If this story is true, the museum has not been able to find any proof that will stand up in court, BUT we believe (without a doubt), that he did and for the following reasons:


First, it is a fact that Thomas Jefferson grew Hemp on his plantation.   We know this for a fact from his personal letters as well as other writings, some of which have been correlated in book form , the most famous one being “Thomas Jefferson’s --The Farm Book”, which along with other works of his are still in print and offered for sale today. ^[7]

The following is given as example: ^[12]

READ MORE: http://antiquecannabisbook.com/chap04/Virginia/VA_IndHempP3.htm