© 2025 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Besides Being A Bard, Shakespeare May Have Been A Stoner

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. To be or not to be stoned. That's the question one might consider about William Shakespeare of Stratford now that scientists at a South African university have found cannabis in fragments of several pipes found in his garden. The clay pipes date to the early 1600s, meaning he might have been smoking more than tobacco. Cannabis was common in England, mostly grown as hemp, which was used for cloth or, more dramatically, rope for hanging. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.