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“Pipe-Weed”
By Hempology | August 22, 2002
By Steve Lesstrange
Member, Cannabis Buyers’ Clubs of Canada
On August 6, 2002 the movie “The Lord of the Rings Part I: The Fellowship of the Ring”
was released on VHS/DVD. Being a complete Tolkien freak, I quickly added the masterpiece
to my video library. I waited a lot of years to see Mr. Tolkiens wonderful tale brought
to life on the big screen. I eagerly await the release of the “two towers” and “the
return of the king”.
Focusing our attention back to the fellowship of the ring, I would like to discuss what
that ol’ wizard Gandalf was smoking in that big ol’ pipe of his.
Pipe-weed!, that what he be smoking, and it has been in middle earth for some 4239 years.
Through research, I very much enjoyed, I discovered some interesting history of pipe-weed
and it’s presence in middle earth.
I estimate that pipe-weed was first brought to middle earth between 600-1200 of the
second age by Numenor. By 1200SA Numernoreans had established havens along the western
coast of Endor. Also with pipe-weed the Numenoreans instructed men of middle earth in the
ways of agriculture and building construction.
The fragrance of the flower was held in high esteem in Gondor, were pipe weed grew
abundently. It also grew in the north with great care.
2840 years later it was finally smoked. Up till then it was prized for its flower and
used for textiles and of course its seeds. About the year 2670 of the Third age a
Hobbit by the name of Tobold Hornblower grew pipe-weed in the Shire for the first time.
Hobbits, it is said were the first to smoke pipe-weed.
Of the company of the ring (3018TA) all members, with the pardon of Legolas, enjoyed
to smoke pipe weed. Elves looked down on the smoking of the herb. Stryder and Gandalf
both started smoking pipe-weed at the Prancing Pony in the town of Bree. In fact
wanderers that stumbled across the Prancing Pony were turned on to the pipe-weed.
Pipe-weed strain in Bree was named “South-Linch” and was of good quality. Various
strains were grown throughout middle earth, and names were given. In South-farthing
(which gained a reputation of quality weed), names of the strains were, Long-bottom leaf,
Old Toby and Southern Star.
The Hobbits of the Shire simply called the weed “shire-leaf”. In Westron, it was called
“Westmans weed”, and “Galenus” or “Sweet Galenus” in Gondor.
“If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine” (the Hobbit Bilbo
in “The Hobbit”, p.18)
It is called Tobbacco in Tolkiens writings, but I enjoy his works a lot more with the
notion that he may very much in fact, be speaking of good ol’ weed. Who really knows, all
I know is his works are masterpieces and I read his stories by the oil lamp on my balcony,
smoking my “PIPE-WEED”.
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