Cannabis Americana Apothecaries

In the late nineteenth century, Cannabis indica, imported primarily from India, was considered a superior product for medicinal purposes.

Domestically raised Cannabis sativa was often found lacking in quality, or so importing herb companies claimed. Medical companies could not depend on unreliable foreign sources, so efforts continued to raise quality Cannabis in the U.S. Despite the frequent introduction of heirloom varieties, the imported cultivars were quickly lost to crossbreeding with local varieties. In the late 1890s, drug companies Eli Lilly & Co. and Parke-Davis & Co., in a rare cooperative venture, combined forces to breed Cannabis at Lilly’s Greenfield, Indiana farm. The companies touted their results as a new species, Cannabis americana, a “new and potent strain of domestic Cannabis.”

Actually, the term Cannabis americana had been in use for many years, previously to describe plants of mixed genetics. Parke-Davis advertised this as a U.S. grown strain of Cannabis sativa that could rival the best Cannabis indica. Although their testing methods, which included dosing dogs, remain suspect, the Americana variety maintained popularity until Congress enacted Cannabis prohibition in 1937.

Left to Right: CANNABIS AMERICANA, mold-made clear, flint glass, square-sided bottle that has side seam marks and rounded edges. Measuring 12″ tall, this heavy bottle was designed for frequent use. The bottle was manufactured by the Whitall Tatum Company of Millville, NJ between 1890 and 1903. It was probably in regular use until the 1930s. Wm. N. Walton of New York City patented the recessed glass label in 1862. This rapidly became the industry’s favorite style until the 1940s. The hand painted bent glass label was reverse painted and affixed into the recessed panel with a warm mixture of yellow wax and rosin. The recess in the bottle helps protect the label from abrasive damage and dripping liquids. Shielded, recessed glass labels are still subject to abuse. This one is cracked and the letter C repaired, a common trait in stocking re-used commercial bottles. The red label was a precursor of the safety bottles that appear in the early twentieth century. CANNABIS AMERICANA, 11″ tall green tinted bottle was mouth blown with the assistance of a one-piece body mold, probably made of wood. The shoulder, neck and lip are hand finished. The surface is slightly rough, with some embedded grit and seed marks, which is consistent with bottles of this age. The even pontil scar is 1″ in diameter. This bottle dates to the early nineteenth century. This is probably not the original use of this jar. It may have been used for other Cannabis products or related crude drugs. For many centuries, corks were used as an effective seal.