I don't know of any instance where Twain smoked pot. I suspect that if he
had (say, during his western years) he would have mentioned it in his
writings, or perhaps taken note when reading the writings of others who did
(but I see no such references in Gribben's MT LIBRARY either). It might be
worth investigating whether Fitz-Hugh Ludlow and Twain ever crossed paths,
though it's unlikely.

Twain did once respond to a questionaire about the use of "stimulants" and
the creative process. A fellow named Reade published a book in 1883
(Manchester & London) called STUDY AND STIMULANTS which conatins the replies
of maybe 75-100 authors on the subject. Twain's reply extolls the use of
tobacco and reveals his writing habits. Others who replied were Hardy,
Collins, Ruskin, Trollope, Tourgueneff, and perhaps of more interest to
Twainians there were replies from Higginson, Howells, Holmes, and William
Lecky.

This book is quite scarce, but you can probably find a "print on demand"
copy for $15 to $30.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX