The Origins and Meanings of ‘Devil’s Lettuce’

Throughout history, the term 'Devil’s Lettuce' has been used to describe two very different plants: Amsinckia tessellata, a wild plant from North America, and cannabis. This article delves into the etymology, cultural context, and usage of this term in both plant and colloquial contexts.

Etymology and Usage

The term 'Devil’s Lettuce' first appeared in the 1943 book A Flora of California, written by Willis Linn Jepson. Here, it was used to describe Amsinckia tessellata, a species of fiddleneck commonly known as 'bristly fiddleneck', 'tessellate fiddleneck', and 'devil’s lettuce'.

Significantly, the term also described cannabis, another plant that bears the nickname 'Devil’s Lettuce'. This term likely gained traction during the 1930s and 1940s due to anti-drug campaigns, especially the film 'Devil’s Harvest' from 1942, which portrayed cannabis as a corrupting influence on youth. Despite no evidence that 'Devil’s Lettuce' was specifically used in this film, the term was employed in popular culture and media during that period.

Cultural Uses and Connotations

A humorous anecdote from 1998 appeared on Google Groups. The post, titled 'When Bart’s out of town', discusses the term 'Devil’s Lettuce' in a colloquial context: 'I wonder what Bart thinks of his dad toking down on the DEVIL’S LETTUCE while getting a hummer from an underage black hooker.' This illustrates how the term became part of internet slang and colloquial speech.

The term 'Devil’s Lettuce' has been widely used in various sources, including the Urban Dictionary, where it’s defined as slang for marijuana. Urban Dictionary entries from 2003 and 2006 confirm the use of the term, and it has been popularized through websites and forums dedicated to cannabis culture. The term also appears in documentary and historical articles that explore the social and cultural implications of cannabis terminology.

Cultural Context and Legal Implications

The use of 'Devil’s Lettuce' in the context of cannabis is often linked to anti-drug propaganda and racism. In her article for Merry Jane, Zack Ruskin discusses the origins of this term, noting that false claims and smear campaigns, often enacted by government institutions, contributed to the widespread use of such terms to stigmatize cannabis.

More recently, the term 'Devil’s Lettuce' has also been associated with the legal and medical aspects of cannabis. For instance, in the article 'Primary Caregivers have the Constitutional Right to Distribute Medicinal Marijuana to Their Terminally Ill Child' by Ian J Bergstrom, the term is used in a more positive context, relating to the medical and legal rights of patients and their caregivers.

Today, the term has evolved to carry both cultural and legal connotations. It is no longer solely a derogatory term used in anti-drug campaigns but also a part of the broader cultural discourse around cannabis, including its medical and recreational uses.