Cannabis Time Capsule: Ganja growing tips from 1938 -- sort of

While we would love to take credit as the first newspaper in Colorado to actually offer advice on growing and consuming marijuana, it turns out that the Aspen Daily Times had us beat by decades, going all the way back to August 11, 1938. Sort of. The little brief is...

By William Breathes

March 14, 2014

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

While we would love to take credit as the first newspaper in Colorado to actually offer advice on growing and consuming marijuana, it turns out that the Aspen Daily Times had us beat by decades, going all the way back to August 11, 1938. Sort of.

The little brief is tucked away on the second page of what is otherwise a hefty, eight-page paper, alongside items about moths, the colors of the sunset and the height of Mount Mitchell, located in the Black Mountains of North Carolina.

Granted, the brief isn't all that helpful and implies that people should smoke the huge leaves of the plant. Plus, it calls cannabis "vicious." Then again, we can't figure out how this would dissuade people from wanting to try the plant. And if it wasn't meant to do that, then we'd like to think it was just a helpful, friendly reminder from an early stoner at the Aspen Times .

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.