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HIGHLY LIKELY
Carl Sagan
sagan was a scientist in every sense of the word, but perhaps more importantly, he was a “science communicator” – a person who possessed the keen ability to interpret high-level scientific concepts to everyday people. His egalitarian principle of scientific thought was aimed at assuring everyone had an opportunity to know and discover the secrets of the universe.
These days, Sagan is looked back on as a sort of “Mr. Rogers” of astrophysics, mainly due to his efforts to make the science of the cosmos available to children and others. But the renowned scientist, cosmologist and astronomer was also a daily Cannabis user, and believed that it enhanced his own creative thought process. And what a creative thought process it was! Sagan’s scientific study of extraterrestrial life, his discovery of high surface temperatures on Venus, and his creation of the Voyager Golden Record are still held in high esteem as key American accomplishments in space exploration.
Because of Sagan’s very public persona and because of his association with NASA, he chose (perhaps for good reason) to hide his frequent marijuana use. Instead, his wife Ann Druyan took up the cause. She was active in NORML, and other reformation-based organizations would take Sagan’s encouragement to fight for legalization.
But Carl Sagan did find a way to advocate for the benefits of Cannabis himself. In 1969, at the age of 35, Sagan published his own thoughts on Cannabis under the pseudonym “Mr. X.” This essay, which was later published inside of Dr. Lester Grinspoon’s 1971 book “Marihuana Reconsidered,” outlines Sagan’s thoughts on the benefits of marijuana and his personal use. In an excerpt arguing for legalization, the essay reads: “The illegality of Cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.”
He would continue with frequent correspondence with Grinspoon, and in the newly released Library of Congress exhibit featuring Carl Sagan’s manuscripts, notebooks, papers and correspondence, one can view hundreds of letters written to Grinspoon. According to author/ activist Tom Angell, Grinspoon is quoted as saying that Sagan smoked Cannabis almost “every day, except when he had to travel.”
The distinguished scientist was also critical of the war on drugs, and in these archives one can find a handful of letters written to Dr. Arnold Trebach, head of the Drug Policy Foundation (now the Drug Policy Alliance) suggesting counter-arguments to the Reagan Era Partnership For a Drug Free America. There are some real gems in there, such as: “Why are drugs, including hallucinogenic drugs, so widely distributed among the cultures of the Earth and so prevalent as sacraments in the world’s religions?”
Sagan was a recreational user of Cannabis for most of his life, but toward the end, he also came to appreciate and respect the plant’s medicinal benefits as well. When he underwent treatment for cancer, he used it to treat lack of appetite from chemotherapy.
Would Carl Sagan have been the same scientist without Cannabis? Maybe. It’s highly likely, though, he would not have been the same human being without it – and it was Sagan’s humanity that made him one of the most famous American scientists of the 20th century. And in some way, we have this sacred flower to thank for that!
YOU KNOW WHO CARL SAGAN IS, RIGHT? If not, stop reading this now and go read the first three paragraphs about him on Wikipedia. Done? Good, now I don’t have to explain what an amazing human being Carl Sagan was. In fact, for all the “Highly Likelys” I will ever write, he’s absolutely the most important person featured.
PACIFIC GROVE
