Did Shakespeare Smoke Cannabis?

Maybe.

Almost 25 years ago, tobacco pipes containing traces of cannabis were discovered in the Bard’s backyard in Stratford-upon-Avon.

There are also mysterious references to psychoactive substances in his poems. Sonnet 76, for example, refers to “invention in a noted weed” and “compounds strange” which some believe are references to cannabis.

Many historians, however, are skeptical that Shakespeare was a weed smoker.

The debate, however, doesn’t mean he is irrelevant to the cannabis community.

🏆 Shakespeare is the GOAT when it comes to understanding and elegantly communicating the human condition.

💡 I’ve applied many of his life lessons to my work in the cannabis industry and would encourage others to do so.

🕶️ Plus, a little culture never hurt anyone.

Here are my 6 favourite Shakespearean quotes and what they mean for managing and business thinking.

1️⃣ ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.’ (Henry IV, Part 2)

This observation expresses the reality that leaders tend to be isolated, tired, and sad. Contrary to popular belief, being a King or a cannabis CEO is often a thankless job.

2️⃣ ‘Nothing will come of nothing.’ (King Lear)

Lear is saying he will banish his daughter Cordelia, who had hitherto refused to express her [faux] love to him. The idiom teaches us that if you give nothing, then you will get nothing.

3️⃣ ‘All that glisters is not gold.’ (The Merchant of Venice)

One of the Bard’s most famous maxims states that not everything that seems true or looks attractive turns out to be so. One needs to think critically.

4️⃣ ‘To thine own self be true.’ (Hamlet)

This beautiful phrase beseechs us to stick our principles, not sell out, and do what we believe is right. The aphorism contains positive virtues such as truth, self-ownership, and individuality.

5️⃣ ‘The better part of valor is discretion.’ (Henry IV, Part 1)

Falstaff’s quote is often bastardized in popular culture, but the gist remains the same: when it comes to speaking, acting or investing, it is better to be prudent than to act rashly or prematurely.

6️⃣ ‘There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.’ (Hamlet)

Shakespeare’s philosophical point is that every incident or experience presents an infinite number of interpretations. It's your interpretation of each event and how you deal with it that determines whether it was positive or negative.

There are many more lessons in the Bard’s writings. Let me know whether you want to know more.

#management #shakespeare #cannabisculture #businessthinking #culture