Did William Shakespeare smoke CANNABIS? Scientist claims the Bard blazed marijuana using a ...

William Shakespeare sought inspiration by smoking weed in the sort of pipe commonly referred to as a "bong", a South African scientist has claimed.

In a paper published in the South African Journal of Science last month, Francis Thackeray suggested the playwright used cannabis as a "stimulant which had mind-stimulating properties".

Thackeray, who currently holds the Phillip Tobias Chair in Palaeoanthropoloy at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at University of the Witwatersrand, analysed the "plant residues" found in the tobacco pipes used in Stratford Upon Avon during the 17th Century - some of which were reportedly found in the Bard's garden.

He assessed 24 of these pipes and found traces of cannabis in eight samples - and Peruvian cocaine in two.

"[There was] unquestionable evidence for the smoking of coca leaves in early 17th century England, based on chemical evidence from two pipes in the Stratford-upon-Avon area.

"Neither of the...

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URL: 
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/william-shakespeare-smoke-cannabis-scientist-6211604