{"id":93949,"date":"2025-02-17T16:29:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T16:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/american-history\/the-great-presidential-pot-hoax\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T16:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T16:29:59","slug":"the-great-presidential-pot-hoax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=93949","title":{"rendered":"The Great Presidential Pot Hoax"},"content":{"rendered":"


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How a hoax from 1971 is still claiming victims<\/strong><\/em>\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

On August 23, 1971, Surgeon General of the United States Jesse Steinfeld testified before the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. This special task force was formed by President Nixon to evaluate drug laws and make recommendations. Steinfeld came prepared to speak about how the punishment for marijuana possession was often far worse than the infraction, but it was something else he said that day that made headlines.<\/p>\n

Reading from his notes, Steinfeld told the Commission, \u201cIndeed, Dr. Burke, president of the American Historical Reference Society and consultant to the Smithsonian, reports that no less than seven U.S. presidents smoked marijuana, including Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Taylor, and Pierce.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No one in the hearing room questioned the Surgeon General about this fact, but they should have. Because there was no Dr. Burke, and there was no American Historical Reference Society.<\/p>\n

Steinfeld was the victim of a hoax that is still claiming unsuspecting victims today.<\/p>\n

In our premier episode of Season 6 (a season focused on some of the biggest and weirdest myths in presidential history), Jess and I dig into the roots of this hoax and some spurious quotes from Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n

Listen to the full episode now:<\/em>