Mary Jane

 

The history of marijuana in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is defined by its role as a significant cultivation hub in the Appalachian region, a long-standing culture of "underground" farming, and a gradual shift toward regulated medical use in recent years.

Early History and Cultivation Culture

Like much of West Virginia, Pocahontas County has a history tied to industrial hemp, which was a required crop in the Virginia colony (including present-day West Virginia) as early as 1619 for rope and fabric. However, by the late 20th century, the county’s rugged, mountainous terrain made it an ideal location for illegal cannabis cultivation.

• "The Green Mountain State": Historically, West Virginia has consistently ranked in the top 10 U.S. states for marijuana plant eradication.¹ Pocahontas County, with its low population density and vast federal land (including the Monongahela National Forest), became a primary site for "guerrilla grows."

• Economic Drivers: In rural Appalachian communities where poverty rates can exceed 30%, marijuana cultivation often emerged as a "shadow" cash crop. In some families, cultivation was a multi-generational trade passed down to supplement low incomes.

Law Enforcement and Major Raids

For decades, the "war on drugs" in Pocahontas County focused heavily on outdoor eradication programs led by the West Virginia State Police and federal agencies.

• Operation Eradication: Law enforcement often utilized helicopters to spot large outdoor plots in remote areas during the late summer harvest season.

• 2011 Multi-Agency Raid: A significant drug sweep in May 2011 involved the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Forest Service.² While much of the raid focused on prescription pills (like Oxycodone), it also resulted in felony charges for marijuana delivery in Marlinton and Buckeye, highlighting the overlap between traditional cannabis sales and the rising opioid crisis at the time.

• Corruption Scandals: The history of the region includes notable scandals involving law enforcement. In nearby Fayette County, a sheriff was once convicted of planting marijuana on school property, illustrating the complex and sometimes compromised history of drug enforcement in the surrounding region.

The Shift to Legalization

The legal landscape in Pocahontas County began to change significantly in the late 2010s:

• Hemp Legalization (2002/2014): West Virginia legalized industrial hemp cultivation in 2002, though it didn't gain traction until the 2014 Federal Farm Bill.³ Since then, small-scale hemp and CBD operations have appeared in the rural highlands.

• Medical Cannabis Act (2017): Governor Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 386, legalizing medical marijuana.⁴ While the first dispensaries didn't open until 2021, the law allowed residents with qualifying conditions (like PTSD or chronic pain) to legally possess and use cannabis in specific forms (oils, pills, and later, dry leaf for vaporization).⁵

• Current Status: As of 2025, recreational marijuana remains illegal in Pocahontas County. While some cities in West Virginia (like Morgantown and Charleston) have moved toward local decriminalization, Pocahontas County remains under strict state and federal enforcement for non-medical use.

Modern Challenges

A recent 2024 West Virginia Supreme Court case (State v. Schober) highlighted a modern conflict: the court ruled that individuals on probation can be denied the use of medical cannabis even if they have a state-issued card, because marijuana remains a Schedule I substance under federal law.⁶ This continues to be a point of legal friction for residents in Pocahontas and surrounding counties.

When You Could Sign for Opioids

 

In the context of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, "Mild Tincture of Opium"—more commonly known by the trade name Paregoric—holds a significant place in local Appalachian history. It was once a staple of the "family medicine chest" in the mountains, used for everything from infant colic to chronic coughs.¹

What is Paregoric?

Paregoric is a camphorated tincture of opium.² Historically, it was distinct from "Laudanum" (Tincture of Opium) because it was much weaker.³

• Composition: It contains approximately 0.4 mg/mL of morphine along with anise oil, benzoic acid, camphor, and glycerin in an alcohol base.⁴

• Medical Use: Historically, its primary use in Pocahontas County (and rural Appalachia) was as an antidiarrheal and a soothing agent for "fretful" children.

---

Local Context: Pocahontas County & Appalachia

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, medical care in Pocahontas County was often remote and self-administered.

• The "Soothing" Remedy: Because doctors were often a long ride away in Marlinton or Cass, mothers relied on paregoric. It was famously rubbed on the gums of teething babies or given in small drops to quiet crying infants.⁵

• The "Exempt Narcotic" Era: Until the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, paregoric was often sold "over the counter" (OTC) at local pharmacies without a prescription, provided the buyer signed a narcotics ledger.⁶ In many rural West Virginia counties, these "signature books" became a record of the community's dependence on the drug.

• The Transition to Regulation: As federal laws tightened, paregoric moved to Schedule III (and later Schedule II for the pure tincture). In Pocahontas County, the decline of paregoric marked a shift from traditional home-remedy culture to modern pharmaceutical regulation.

---

Key Distinctions

It is critical to distinguish between the two types of opium tinctures, as confusing them has historically been fatal:

Feature	Paregoric (Mild Tincture)	Laudanum (Opium Tincture)
Morphine Content	$0.4\text{ mg/mL}$	$10\text{ mg/mL}$
Potency	1/25th as strong as Laudanum	Full strength
Historical Status	Often sold OTC (pre-1970)	Always required prescription
Color/Taste	Clear to honey-colored; anise (licorice) flavor	Dark reddish-brown; very bitter

Historical Records in WV

If you are looking for specific local history, the Preserving Pocahontas digital archive often contains mentions of old pharmacies (like the Marlinton Drug Store) where these ledgers were kept. Many older residents of the county still recall "Parepectolin" (a mix of Paregoric, Kaolin, and Pectin) which was the last common iteration of the drug used for stomach upsets.

Would you like me to look for specific historical pharmacy names or doctors in Pocahontas County who were active during the peak era of paregoric use?

In Pocahontas County, the use of Paregoric (Mild Tincture of Opium) was deeply intertwined with a small circle of dedicated country doctors and landmark pharmacies. During the "peak era"—roughly from the 1900s through the 1960s—the following names were central to the community's medical landscape.

Prominent Historical Pharmacies

The pharmacy was the community hub where Paregoric was dispensed, often from large glass carboys into small, amber personal vials.

• The Marlinton Drug Store: Located on Main Street in Marlinton, this was one of the most significant institutions in the county. It was not just a pharmacy but a publisher of local postcards and a gathering spot. It operated during the years when Paregoric was an "exempt narcotic," meaning it could be bought by signing a ledger.

• Pocahontas Drug Company (c. 1908): Housed in the historic Yeager Building in Marlinton, this pharmacy served the booming population during the height of the timber industry and the arrival of the railroad.

• The Cass Drug Store: Serving the company town of Cass, this pharmacy catered to the rugged workforce of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. In isolated logging camps, "mild" tinctures were often the only accessible pain relief.

Notable "Country Doctors"

These physicians were known for "doing it all"—from delivering babies at home to performing surgery on kitchen tables. Their practices spanned the era when opium-based tinctures were standard treatment for gastrointestinal distress and coughs.

• Dr. Norman Price ("Doc Norman"): A legendary figure in Marlinton, he was famous for his tireless house calls. He practiced during a time when medical instruments were limited, and a bottle of Paregoric was a staple in his medical bag for treating "fretful" infants and summer diarrhea.

• Dr. Roland Sharp: Based in the "upper end" of the county (near Slaty Fork and Green Bank), Dr. Sharp was a beloved figure who practiced for decades. He represented the transition from old-world medicine to the modern era.

• Dr. James "Jim" Price: Brother to Doc Norman, he was part of a medical dynasty in the county that saw the rise and eventual regulation of opium-based home remedies.

• Dr. H.W. McNeel: An earlier practitioner in the Hillsboro area ("Little Levels"), whose era predated modern antibiotics, making tinctures like Paregoric essential tools for managing symptoms of serious illnesses like dysentery.

The "Signature Book" Era

In Pocahontas County, as in much of rural West Virginia, Paregoric was often sold without a prescription until the 1970 Controlled Substances Act.

• The Process: A customer would walk into the Marlinton Drug Store, request an ounce of "Paregoric," and the pharmacist would present a Narcotics Register.

• The Record: You had to write your name, address, the date, and the "intended use" (usually listed as "stomach ache" or "colic").

• The Culture: Many older residents still recall the distinct licorice (anise) smell of the medicine and the fact that it was one of the few items that required a "formal" signature in an otherwise informal mountain economy.

---

Preserving the History

If you are looking for primary records (like old ledgers or medical bags), two local resources are invaluable:

1. The Pocahontas County Historical Society Museum: Located in the Frank and Anna Hunter House in Marlinton, it houses artifacts from these early medical practices.

2. Preserving Pocahontas: This digital archive often features photographs of the early interiors of the Marlinton Drug Store and Pocahontas Drug Company.

Would you like me to look for specific details on the "Narcotics Ledgers" or the specific pharmacists who ran the Marlinton Drug Store?

 

Cave Systems

 

The area surrounding Lobelia, located in the Little Levels district of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, sits atop a vast "sinkhole plain" within the Greenbrier Karst region. This landscape is a labyrinth of limestone, home to some of the longest and most historically significant cave systems in North America.

1. The Friars Hole Cave System

Located just west of Lobelia on the western flank of Droop Mountain, this is the "crown jewel" of West Virginia speleology.¹

• Scale: It is the longest cave in West Virginia and the 7th longest in the United States, with over 52 miles of surveyed passages.

• Discovery & Exploration: While known locally for generations, systematic exploration began in the 1960s. In 1976, cavers achieved a major breakthrough by connecting the Friars Hole Cave at the southern end with Snedegars Cave at the northern end.²

• Geological Age: Some passages within this system are estimated to be over 4.1 million years old, formed by ancient streams sinking into the Mississippian Greenbrier Group limestone.³

2. Lobelia Saltpeter Cave

This smaller cave, now a protected preserve managed by the Southeastern Cave Conservancy (SCCi), holds immense local historical value.

• Civil War History: Like many caves in the region, it was a vital source of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), a key ingredient in gunpowder.⁴ During the Civil War, the Confederacy operated mining works here to sustain their ammunition supplies.

• Artifacts: The cave still contains rare archaeological evidence of this industry, including a saltpeter water collection trough and wooden hand tools left behind by 19th-century miners.⁵

3. The Hills-Bruffey Cave System

Located in the immediate vicinity of Lobelia, this system is a classic example of Appalachian karst hydrology.

• Formation: It is formed by the "sinks" (where surface water disappears underground) of Hills Creek and Bruffey Creek.⁶

• Historical Geography: The creek and cave system are named after early settlers like Patrick Bruffey. The area was once the site of the Bruffey’s Creek School (1910–1935), highlighting how the local community lived directly alongside these geological features.⁷

4. Peter M. Hauer and Spelean History

The history of these caves is inextricably linked to Peter M. Hauer, a legendary figure in American speleology.

• The "KN03" Expert: Hauer was a preeminent historian of saltpeter mining (often signing his name as "KN03").

• Lobelia Connection: In the early 1970s, Hauer left his teaching career to live on an old farm near Lobelia. From this base, he conducted extensive research into the historical use of West Virginia caves, contributing significantly to the National Speleological Society (NSS) and the preservation of the region's subterranean history.

---

Comparison of Major Nearby Systems

Cave System	Known Length	Primary Historical Use	Status
Friars Hole	52+ Miles	Scientific Study / Exploration	Private / Managed Entrances
Lobelia Saltpeter	Small	Civil War Powder Production	SCCi Preserve (Permit Required)
Hills-Bruffey	Several Miles	Hydrological Study	Private Property
Organ Cave (Nearby)	45 Miles	Saltpeter / Fossil Site	National Natural Landmark

---

Conservation Note: Most caves in this area are on private land or protected preserves. Because of White-Nose Syndrome (a disease affecting bat populations) and the fragile nature of saltpeter artifacts, access is often strictly controlled.

Would you like me to look up specific permit requirements for visiting the Lobelia Saltpeter Cave Preserve, or perhaps find more details on the Civil War mining techniques used there?

Mining for saltpeter (potassium nitrate) was a grueling, chemical-heavy industrial process often performed in total darkness. In the Lobelia Saltpeter Cave and others in Pocahontas County, the Confederacy relied on these "niter works" to bypass Union blockades.¹

The techniques used were a mix of heavy manual labor and a multi-stage chemical extraction process.

1. The "Peter Monkey" Labor: Extraction²

The first stage was the physical removal of "petre-dirt"—cave soil rich in calcium nitrate (often from ancient bat guano).³

• Excavation: Miners, nicknamed "peter monkeys," used mattocks and wooden shovels to dig out soil.⁴ They often had to crawl into tight "working bays" where the ceiling was low.

• Evidence in Lobelia: You can still see mattock marks on the clay walls and tally marks (scratched lines) where workers kept count of the bags of dirt removed.

• Lighting: They worked by the dim, smoky light of lard oil lamps or resinous pine torches, which left black soot stains on the cave ceilings that are still visible today.

2. Leaching: The Vats and Hoppers⁵

Once the dirt was collected, the nitrate had to be "washed" out of the soil.⁶

• Hoppers: Large V-shaped or box-shaped wooden vats (hoppers) were constructed, often from rot-resistant white oak.⁷

• The Process: Dirt was packed into the vats, and water was poured over the top.⁸ As the water filtered through, it dissolved the nitrates, creating a concentrated liquid called "mother liquor."⁹

• Artifacts: In Lobelia Saltpeter Cave, the most significant remaining artifact is a wooden water collection trough, used to catch this nitrate-rich runoff as it drained from the bottom of the vats.¹⁰

3. Conversion: The "Ash" Chemistry¹¹

The "mother liquor" collected was calcium nitrate, which is not yet gunpowder-ready. It had to be converted into potassium nitrate.¹²

• Wood Ash: Miners leached water through common wood ashes (rich in potash/potassium hydroxide).¹³

• The Reaction: They mixed the wood-ash water with the cave-dirt water.¹⁴ A chemical reaction occurred: the potassium from the ash swapped places with the calcium from the cave dirt, creating potassium nitrate (saltpeter).

• Boiling: This mixture was hauled outside the cave to large iron kettles and boiled down.¹⁵ As the water evaporated, white saltpeter crystals formed.¹⁶

4. Supply Chains

Once purified, the "pure white gold" from Lobelia was packed into 200-pound sacks and shipped to major powder mills, most notably the Augusta Powder Works in Georgia.¹⁷ This operation was so efficient that Confederate soldiers famously remarked that while they often lacked food, they rarely lacked ammunition.

---

Key Historical Artifacts Found Near Lobelia

• Hollowed Log Pipes: Used to transport water from cave streams to the vats.¹⁸

• Wooden Hand Tools: Crude shovels and scrapers left behind when mines were abandoned or raided by Union cavalry.¹⁹

• Ox Tracks: In some larger nearby caves like Greenville Saltpeter, you can still see the preserved hoof prints of oxen used to pull carts of dirt to the vats.

Exploring a Saltpeter Cave

This video shows well-preserved artifacts in a similar Appalachian cave, providing a visual look at the vats and troughs used during the 19th-century mining process.

Would you like to know more about the specific Union raids, such as General Averell's 1863 expedition, that targeted these saltpeter works in Pocahontas County?