IS THERE SOMETHING SINISTER IN THE HISTORY OF CANNABIS?

2009.04.03

There have been stories circulating through the decades about the days of old having vampires and Dracula. The same is to be said of the sordid stories of cannabis back in the fourteen century. The story here goes that there were clans of crazy men that would go around thirsty for blood brandishing knifes in search for their kill. They were said to be high on the effects of cannabis.

These clans were supposedly known to be cannabis assassins whose use of pot was the key to the thirst of blood and visions of a paradise to come. Is it fact or fiction? Historians have pondered this question over the years.



To begin with, all legends seem to have a starting point and the legend of the cannabis assassins is no different. It would appear it could be traced back to the “Castle of Death”. Said to exist in the times of Marco Polo. During his many travels, he speaks of his visit to Eagle Peak the home of the Castle Of Death. Marco seems to give his accounts of the assassins. He is making reference to the dwellers that used to live there before his time. It’s during this visit that Polo eludes to marijuana.

Marco Polo paints a somewhat colorful picture of the leader that occupied the castle. Polo states this infamous fellow was by common terminology a drug dealer, which included the free use of alcohol and women, with the luring in of young boys into his group of assassins.

The picture of this sinister cult is not much different from some of the cults of modern day age. This leader would drug his audience into oblivion and then lure to a place that possessed numerous pleasure for his followers. Here he would purport himself as being an immortal messenger. It’s with this portrayal of himself and the promise of more delights to come that gave him the power to put his followers at his will. His will was said to be that of murder and carnage. He would expect his followers to willingly obey his commands and have no concern for their own lives.

It is said that between the use of cannabis seeds and the euphoria of the leader it was an easy task of control for the leader. When the cannabis was used in liquid, it would put those subjected to it asleep so they could be taken to and from the location of pleasures.

Those astute to history point out that Marco Polo‘s account of what went on there was conjured up from his expose of history. It was a century after the control of the leader that Polo visited the castle. It’s highly unlikely that he had anything by way of evidence to support his story. A classic case of a legend being handed down from century to century.

A legend like this can only leave to the imagine of where the paraphernalia of today such as the hash pipes, bongos and bubble bags would fit in.