Ludlow on Cannabis: A Modern Look at a Nineteenth Century Drug Experience

Abstract

One of the most important questions about cannabis is the consequences, if any, of prolonged use. Since conclusive experiments in humans have not yet been performed, we must rely on clinical evidence or on objective examination of subjective experiences recorded in the literature. One of the best reports extant, because of its scope and keen observation and because it relates the subjective effects of cannabis to chronic use and psychological dependence, was given 114 years ago by the young American Fitz Hugh Ludlow (1857) in the autobiography The Hasheesh Eater The present paper examines Ludlow's experiences and their relevance to current knowledge and interests about cannabis