Commodifying Cannabis: A Cultural History of a Complex Plant in the Atlantic World

202 Pages·2018·2.181 MB·English

by  Bradley J Borougerdi

Commodifying Cannabis

Commodifying Cannabis
A Cultural History of a Complex
Plant in the Atlantic World
Bradley J. Borougerdi
LEXINGTONBOOKS
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Copyright©2018byBradleyJ.Borougerdi
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ISBN978-1-4985-8637-5(cloth:alk.paper)
ISBN978-1-4985-8639-9(pbk.:alk.paper)
ISBN978-1-4985-8638-2(electronic)
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Contents
Preface vii
Introduction:ConstructedCannabisCultures ix
1 TheCulturalBotanyofCannabis 1
2 CannabisinHistory:ATriplePurposePlant 15
3 TheTiesThatBind:CannabisFiberandtheAtlanticWorld 39
4 ReorientingEmpireandTransformingPerceptionsofCannabis
intheAtlanticWorld 63
5 “AtOnceaCurseandaBlessing”:TheTransatlantic
Transformationsof“Oriental”Cannabis 91
6 FromRopetoDope:TheIndianHempDrugsCommissionand
ItsTransatlanticAftermath 117
7 ShiftingCulturalConsumptionPatternsofCannabisin20th-
CenturyU.S.TransatlanticHistory 135
Conclusion:RefashioningMeaning 153
Bibliography 157
Index 181
AbouttheAuthor 185
v

Preface
Confusion about what cannabis really is and how it can be used has been
around for a very long time. Recent policy changes and new scientific re-
search has rendered obsolete much of what westerners thought they knew
about it, but the confusion remains quite prevalent, if not greater. This book
seeks to explain why by tracing the tangled histories of cannabis used for
fiber, medicine, and mind alteration in a transatlantic context. It focuses on
the dynamic interplay between these three main uses for the plant and dem-
onstrates how they were connected through a complicated discourse that
endoweditwithnewmeaningovertime.Theresearchincludesawiderange
of sources from several disciplines, and it contains history encompassing a
vast geographical landscape. My hope is that the book will stimulate histo-
rianstoaskfurtherquestionsaboutthewayweconceptualizeAtlantichisto-
ry as a field of study, but it is also a cultural history of a multifaceted
commoditythattellsussomethingabouthowsocietiescometoinvestmean-
ingintothethingstheyuse.
This project could not have been completed without the generous help
and excellent guidance of many people. Thomas Adam was instrumental in
helping me formulate the project in its early stages. Dennis Reinhartz could
not seem to get rid of me even after his retirement, which was very helpful
because he is a walking historical dictionary. Christopher Morris stepped in
atatimewhenIthoughtallwaslosttosteermebackontotherightpath,and
I am so thankful for his guidance. Imre Demhardt and Alusine Jalloh also
helped by providing excellent feedback on specific topics that really im-
proved the manuscript. James Klotter, Richard Francaviglia, Beatriz Aceve-
do,ClaireGherini,AlHoward,andCyrusAla’iwereallkindenoughtohold
conversations with meover email throughoutthecourseof my researchthat
provided excellent direction. Also, a couple of phone conversations with
vii
viii Preface
Isaac Campos were very thought-provoking and insightful. Alfred Crosby
and Frances Karttunen shocked me with their generosity when they mailed
me a box of microfilm. They have both been more of an inspiration to me
thantheycouldpossiblyimagine,andIamsothankfulforourconversations
and for Crosby’s influence on my perspective of history. Chris Duvall, Ste-
phen Maizlish, Bob Beach, and Adam Rathge have also spent time either
conversing with me about the manuscript or specific sources within it, and
their words have improved the final product tremendously. My friend and
colleague, Greg Kosc, has also been instrumental toward the completion of
this project by spending countless hours discussing and debating cannabis
history with me. And finally, my sister-in-law, Britany Finley, has been so
generous with her time by agreeing to read, comment, edit, and re-read the
manuscript.Iamsogratefultohaveherinmylife.
AGlobalResearchFellowshipthroughtheUniversityofTexasatArling-
ton(UTA)allowedmetoconductresearchattheBritishLibrary,whereEast
IndiaCompanyarchivistRichardMorelprovidedhisexpertiseandtaughtme
howtouseandtrackdownimportantcompanyrecords.Thefinancialsupport
I received from Dean Beth Wright, the UTA History Department, and the
Atlantic History Research Grant from Harvard University helped with re-
searchattheWidenerLibraryandtheJulioMarioSantoDomingoCollection
attheHoughtonLibrary.ThearchivistsatHoughtonarestillintheprocessof
cataloging their vast collection pertaining to a variety of topics on sex and
drugs. They were immensely helpful, and I look forward to working with
themagaininthefuturewhenmoreofthesourceshavebeencataloged.Ialso
want to thank Charlie from the Hash, Marihuana, and Hemp Museum in
Amsterdamforhavingacoupleofhighlyinformativeandinsightfulconver-
sations with me on the museum’s collection and the general nature of what
we agreed to call the Atlantic Drug War. These people and institutions de-
serve far more credit than they realize in helping me bring this project to
fruition.
Finally,IwanttothankmysonAiden,daughterMeadow,andwifeBran-
di for giving me the time I needed to finish this long and tedious project.
Theirloveandsupporthasbeencrucialateverystepoftheway.
Introduction
Constructed Cannabis Cultures
In the historic center of Amsterdam, there is a rectangular-shaped cluster of
streetsknownasDamSquare.Itisfilledwithhistoricalrelicsandhasaport
history dating back centuries. In the Northeast corner, there is a body of
water known as Oosterdok, where Scheepvaartmuseum stands with ships
from the 15th century docked in its harbor. These ships, along with thou-
sands of others that entered the harbor from across the Atlantic over the
centuries, carried cargoes of various commodities, one of which was canna-
bis.Notonlythat,buttheshipswereriggedwithtonsofmaterialmadefrom
this plant. The rope, sail cloth, and caulking that waterproofed the wood
holding them together were all constructed from its durable fiber. Some of
themassivehawserlinesthatwereusedtotransporttheshipsarestillvisible
atthemuseumtoday.Thesevisualvestigesofthepastarerepresentationsof
the knowledge culture that Europeans developed about cannabis, which was
considered a practical plant with many industrial uses, but most importantly
animportantstrategiccommodityfornavalstores.
Travel a little further west, past the “red-light district,” and an entirely
differentstoryoftheplantemerges.Hereonecanfind“coffeeshops”bythe
dozens, operating somewhat discreetly due to the political currents of what
some might call the Transatlantic Drug War. Travel through the canals and
streetsinthisdirection,andonemightencountermedicaladvocatessuggest-
ingtheuseofcannabinoidsforpatientsinneedofrelief,marijuanaaficiona-
dos breaking down the nuanced distinctions between various recreational
strains, or religious devotees preaching thegospelof ganja. Of course, these
namesandthevariousothersbeingusedaroundhererefertoadifferentpart
oftheplant.Pot,Hash,Charras,Weed,MaryJane,Dank,Herb,Killa’,Cake,
ix