Valle-Inclán Consumed Cannabis to Ease His Bladder Pain

The list of figures from the worlds of Culture and the Arts who are cannabis enthusiasts, or were in their times, is growing longer every day. Those who publicly proclaim their love for this plant today are really joining a list of historical figures whose once unavowed secret, now comes to light.

Such is the case of Ramón del Valle-Inclán, the Spanish leading light whose life bridged the 19th and 20th centuries and whose work has just become part of the public domain, made available to anyone seeking access to it.

In the biographical work Ramón del Valle-Inclán. Genial, antiguo y moderno, the result of an extensive study carried out by the novelist's grandson, some of the myths surrounding him are debunked, and secrets are revealed about his past, like his consumption of marijuana for medical purposes.

Although he was a deeply religious man, and somewhat conservative in his political views, Valle-Inclán took “Indian hemp” (actually cannabis, as it was called at the time) to relieve the pain from a papilloma in his bladder.

In fact, according to the book, medical use of the plant was widespread amongst Madrid's enlightened thinkers in the early 20th century, especially in circles close to the press like those frequented by the writer, the creator of the masterpieces of Spanish and world literature Bohemian Lights and Tyrant Banderas.

While the discovery of his penchant for cannabis could further foster the bohemian image Valle-Inclán has gone down in history with, the truth is that his grandson's findings suggest that this reputation was unwarranted. "He was quoted as saying that he was disgusted by the bohemian," explains his descendant. "That side of him has been overstated."

However, he was neither the first nor would he be the last of the great literary figures to draw inspiration from cannabis. Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, André Breton, Allen Ginsberg... there are dozens of big names linked to our favourite plant, with more and more daring to join the list.