Science Says That Shakespeare Was a Huge Stoner

If weed be the food of love, toke on.

Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets…and, evidently, smoked a whole bunch of weed. Woooooooo 420. 

According to the Independent, researchers in Pretoria, South Africa tested 24 clay pipe fragments found in the Stratford-upon-Avon area in the 17th century. Eight tested positive for cannabis, four of which were originally found in Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon garden. (Two samples, not from his garden, also included residue from the coca plant, so it looks like our dude steered clear of uppers.) 

The scientists were not able to determine if, like me, Shakespeare panicked and asked all of his companions “you hate me, don’t you?” as soon as he got stoned. One thing’s for sure, though: If the Bard really was high when he wrote all his plays, then Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen have one hell of a time-travel movie cut out for them.

Photos by Flickr.com/tonynetone

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