If George Washington Grew Weed, Why Can’t You?

^{Filed Under: Founding Fathers & Federal Hypocrisy}

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George Washington grew weed—and if he did it today, the DEA would probably be kicking down his door. at least, what the government would call weed today. The man had acres of hemp growing at Mount Vernon, meticulously recording notes on the crop, separating male and female plants, and even mentioning its medicinal uses. And yet, here we are, in a country where growing the same damn plant can still get you arrested, fined, or sent to prison—just ask Jonathan Wall, a non-violent cannabis entrepreneur sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for running a legal dispensary in California, all because he crossed state lines., depending on which backward-ass state you live in.

The hypocrisy is off the charts. The same government that celebrates Washington as a hero keeps cannabis federally illegal under bullshit, outdated drug laws that have been ruining lives since the Nixon era. They’ll put his face on the money but throw you in a cell for growing the same crop he did? Make it make sense.

Let’s get one thing straight—he wasn’t the only one. Jefferson grew hemp. Madison probably smoked it. Lincoln was rumored to have rolled a joint in his time. But today, the DEA will kick your door in like you’re running an international cartel for cultivating a few plants in your backyard. Meanwhile, big pharma, corporate weed investors, and government-backed growers are cashing in, raking in over $33 billion from the legal cannabis industry in 2023, while nearly 40,000 people remain behind bars in the U.S. for cannabis-related offenses. The same plant making corporations billions is still costing individuals their freedom., playing by a different set of rules while everyday people still get locked up.

And here’s the real kicker—Brazil just lapped the U.S. in cannabis policy. That’s right. The same country that turned soybeans into a global empire is gearing up to dominate the weed industry with a 12-year research program led by Embrapa, their agricultural research powerhouse. They’re investing in elite genetics, large-scale cultivation, and medical cannabis innovation while the U.S. government still debates whether weed is more dangerous than fentanyl.

This isn’t just about history—it’s about how far behind the U.S. is falling in the global cannabis race. Other countries are moving forward, growing, exporting, and making bank while America clings to the failed war on drugs like a sad, paranoid relic. Germany is rolling out a nationwide legalization framework, Thailand has embraced medical marijuana with an eye on full decriminalization, and Canada has been profiting off legal weed for years. Meanwhile, the U.S. still can’t figure out if it wants to be a capitalist weed empire or a puritanical prohibitionist state. like a sad, paranoid relic. Do you know who’s not behind bars for weed? The corporations produce it legally. Do you know who is? Disproportionately Black and Latino men who got caught up in the same prohibitionist laws that should’ve died decades ago.

So, let’s ask the question again—if George Washington could grow weed, why the hell can’t you?

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