Counterculture
The Historical Relationship Between War, Spirituality, and Cannabis
-Hideo Nagayoshi
In the aftermath of World War II, the world was left in a state of exhaustion.
As the young leader of the world, the United States emerged with a noble ambition to maintain global security. However, this aspiration was supported by the expansion of the oil and arms industries, which became key sources of power. Consequently, numerous wars and conflicts erupted worldwide. This trajectory has evolved into ongoing wars, including those between Ukraine and Russia, as well as between Israel and the Islamic world.
Wars are instigated by nations and capitalists. However, it is ordinary citizens—those who have been working in cities or living as farmers—who find themselves facing each other at gunpoint on the battlefield. Suddenly caught in the machinations of powerful forces, they are compelled to engage in senseless violence. That is the reality of war.
Far from their familiar homes, soldiers find themselves in the jungles of Vietnam, suddenly ambushed and killed by the Viet Cong. In a state of extreme terror, they continue to pull the trigger while screaming at the top of their lungs. In a fleeting moment of distraction, a comrade who was just beside them vanishes before their eyes, obliterated by a landmine…
Can we, as inhabitants of post-war Japan, fully comprehend this reality?
Since the 20th century, young Americans have repeatedly been thrust into unjust battlefields. Each time, they return exhausted, carrying deep emotional scars, yet they push back against the hardships they face. This resilience is a hallmark of the American spirit.
This energy gave rise to a new cultural movement known as counterculture. The Beatniks of the post-World War II era and the Hippie movement during the Vietnam War are prime examples of this phenomenon. For both of these cultural movements, cannabis was an indispensable element.
Smoking cannabis allows individuals to relax while simultaneously gaining a broader perspective on themselves and their surroundings. It calms the chaos of internal turmoil, enabling them to confront the sources of their fears. Through this process of reflection and organization, they can gradually reclaim their sense of self. This is a hallmark of the altered states of consciousness induced by cannabis.
Many American youths became acquainted with cannabis during the Vietnam War, including Dennis Peron, who would later be known as a pioneer of marijuana advocacy.
Peron witnessed a staggering number of bodies on the battlefields of Vietnam, a sight that left him deeply shaken. Refusing to pull the trigger on the battlefield, he instead brought back large quantities of marijuana when he returned to the U.S. Upon his return, he established a free space in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district where marijuana was freely available. This initiative became one of the key pillars of the hippie movement
Many young Americans who were sent to fight in the Vietnam War found solace and healing in marijuana, using it as a means to resist the government and the larger forces that controlled their fate.
“Love & Peace.” The cannabis leaf became a symbol of the hippie movement, which opposed nuclear weapons and war, for reasons like these. It represented a rejection of violence and a desire for healing in the face of turmoil.
I would like to introduce an excerpt from my book “Introduction to Cannabis” (published by Gentosha), which explores the relationship between counterculture born from war and cannabis.
From the Gentosha Shinsho Introduction to Cannabis.
The Counterculture Born from the Beatnik Movement
In the 1950s, a new cultural movement known as the Beatniks emerged. This movement arose in opposition to the old cultures and customs that preceded World War II, as well as the adult culture represented by the Lost Generation, epitomized by figures like Hemingway. It was birthed from the Beat Generation’s desire to challenge the status quo.
This culture, spearheaded by writers William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and poet Allen Ginsberg, included poetry readings that opposed discrimination and war, as well as the improvisational style of modern jazz that broke free from the constraints of conventional swing jazz. Cannabis emerged as an essential element within this movement. Regulated for its political and moral implications, marijuana became a symbolic presence for them.
For the young members of the Beat Generation, who believed in forging their own paths rather than living within predetermined rules, the experience of getting high on cannabis was, indeed, a journey in itself.
This culture profoundly influenced artists such as Bob Dylan and paved the way for the next generation—the Hippie movement.
The term “Hippie” is believed to have originated from a line in Allen Ginsberg’s seminal work Howl, which describes “hipsters with the faces of angels.”
The cannabis that the Beatniks received from jazz musicians was passed down to the next generation within the counterculture.
The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the Hippie Movement
In 1961, the United Nations adopted the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs to simplify various drug control regulations, including the International Opium Convention. Like the Opium Convention, this treaty regulated cannabis and cannabis resin. It stipulated that if the cultivation of cannabis were to be permitted, it should be controlled similarly to opium poppies, the raw material for heroin. Furthermore, it introduced guidelines stating that non-medical and non-scientific use of cannabis must cease within 25 years.
Meanwhile, under the Kennedy administration, the United States was reevaluating the dangers associated with cannabis.
In 1962, a special study group under President Kennedy that researched narcotics and drug addiction announced that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that cannabis incites antisocial behavior, such as sexual offenses. Similarly, the Johnson administration also held a more lenient view towards cannabis. However, Congress consistently maintained its stance that cannabis was a dangerous drug.
As the preceding history illustrates, the perception of cannabis as a narcotic has subtly shifted over time. This evolving view is reflected in the fact that the United States did not ratify the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs until 1967. While America had consistently advocated strong measures to address drug issues globally since the International Opium Conference, questions began to arise among some citizens and liberal politicians regarding the regulation of cannabis on par with heroin.
In the late 1960s, the Hippie culture emerged alongside the Flower Movement, originating in San Francisco. Rock music and psychedelic culture spread from America and the UK to the rest of the world, intertwined with cannabis and LSD. During this time, young people were seeking new values. In the early 1970s, amid the Vietnam War, cannabis was highlighted as a symbol of anti-war sentiment and peace. Its image was disseminated globally, accompanied by the mantra of “Love & Peace.”
In the 1970s, America found itself in a constant struggle between new values and old traditions, heavily influenced by the quagmire of the Vietnam War that had persisted since the 1960s.
During the Vietnam War, the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) operated in the mountainous region near the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, known as the “Golden Triangle.” This area had been home to numerous opium refineries since the 19th century, and the armed groups controlling it were engaged in military operations alongside the U.S. government. In return for their cooperation, the American government guaranteed these armed groups the rights to manufacture and sell opium, aiming to leverage this support to conduct the Vietnam War more effectively.
These movements were brought to light by American journalism, highlighting the dark undercurrents of drug use and war that America grapples with.
The Ongoing Relationship Between Counterculture and Marijuana Culture
Hippie culture and the subsequent psychedelic movement have had a profound influence on the world. Concepts such as personal computers and the internet are reflective of these cultural currents. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Computer, is said to have been influenced by marijuana culture from a young age. Beneath the cutting-edge digital landscape lies a foundation rooted in Eastern philosophies like Zen and meditation. This connection can be attributed to psychedelic culture and cannabis culture. The movement for cannabis legalization has been driven by activists who have experienced counterculture and the younger generations who have inherited that legacy. This trend can be observed across a wide region, including Japan.