There is, perhaps, no one quite as iconic and outrageous as the late Hunter S. Thompson. Known for his gonzo journalism, he boldly reported from the front lines, fearlessly pursuing stories no other journalist cared to touch. He went on the road with the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, and wrote about Las Vegas in a drug-soaked voice unlike any other.
Thompson made no compunctions about his extensive drug use, and substance references are scattered throughout his various writings.
The icon’s footloose and fancy free lifestyle caught up with him in 2005, and rather than waste away in a hospital, he went out in true gonzo fashion. Thompson committed suicide, and in accordance with his wishes, his ashes were fired out of a cannon in a celebratory ceremony.
In a fitting tribute, his widow, Anita Thompson, announced plans to clone the late author’s stash of hashish and cannabis, comprised of six strains he regularly consumed. “I have found a legal method to extract the DNA from Hunter’s personal marijuana and hashish,” she explained in a public post to her Facebook page.
She saved the plant material for 12 to 15 years and will be creating cloned hybridized strains through an extraction process that will be sold under the “Gonzo” brand name in stores across Colorado. Mrs. Thompson plans to use the funds from cannabis sales to transform Thompson’s ranch, Owl Farm, into a private museum and writer’s retreat devoted to his memory.
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This is not the first time a Hunter S. Thompson cannabis brand has been considered. In fact, that’s precisely why Anita decided to create the line of strains.
Hunter S. Thompson
“Since it became legal I get approached probably once a month by cannabis growers, dispensaries,” she told the Aspen Times. “I’ve had probably 10 meetings in the last three years and I always ended up saying ‘No’ because it’s the same story every time: somebody wants to slap Hunter’s name on their strain.”
Hunter S. Thompson was always a man ahead of his time. Long before legalization, he espoused his love of the herb.
“I have always loved marijuana,” he said. “It has been a source of joy and comfort to me for many years. And I still think of it as a basic staple of life, along with beer and ice and grapefruits – and millions of Americans agree with me.”
For millions of Americans who agree, let’s raise a joint in salute to the one and only true Gonzo.
