WAS THE BARD STONED? THAT IS THE QUESTION

London -- Scientists believe they may have discovered the source of William
Shakespeare's genius -- smoking cannabis, a British newspaper reported
yesterday.

Researchers are investigating whether the secret of the Bard's creativity
was his dope-smoking, according to the Independent on Sunday.

Pipes found at Shakespeare's home in Stratford-upon-Avon, central England,
are being tested for traces of the drug, the paper said.

Dr. Frances Thackeray, head of palaeontology at the Transvaal Museum in
Pretoria, South Africa, believes there is evidence of Shakespeare's drug
habit in his work, the paper said. Dr. Thackeray points to the Bard's use of
complex imagery of darkness and mental journeys as evidence of drug-induced
visions.

Cannabis was first cultivated in England in 400 AD and in the 16th and 17th
centuries was commonly used to produce hemp for ships' ropes and canvas.