“Grow your own dope—plant a politician”

“Grow your own dope—plant a politician” is a jocular saying; Google Images shows that many variations of the saying have been printed on T-shirts and bumper stickers. The earliest variations of the saying have been cited from Australia in the early 1980s. “Grow your own dope, plant a unionist” was cited in 1981 in a Melbourne newspaper, “grow your own dope, plant a Victorian” was cited in 1982 in a Melbourne newspaper and “Grow your own dope—plant a Pom” was cited in 1982 in a Sydney newspaper.
 
“Grow your own dope—plant a man” was cited in print in 1991 and has been, perhaps, the most popular variation. “Grow your own dope — plant a politician” was cited in print in 2002.
 
 
Google News Archive
10 March 1981, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), “34,000 march in anti-strike protests,” pg. 3, cols. 6-7:
THe men and women, young and old, but predominantly middle-aged women, waved Australian flags and banners of “we care,” “contracts not strikes,” “group court action,” and emblazoned across T-shirts “grow your own dope, plant a unionist”.
 
Google News Archive
10 August 1982, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), “News Diary” by Damien Murphy, pg. 2, col. 7:
A couple of more literary critics recommended a paticular body building course to make a waif-like Broadbent “man enough to play rugby league”, and the other promised a tee-shirt inscribed “grow your own dope, plant a Victorian”.
 
Google News Archive
27 August 1982, Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, “Letters to the Editor,” pg. 6, col. 7:
Getting it on your chest
SIR, In today’s Herald (August 23), an article on the moronic T-shirt fad quotes one displaying the words “Grow your own dope—plant a Pom.”
(G.P. Hoskins, Laurleton.—ed.)
 
Google News Archive
21 October 1991, Rome (GA) News-Tribune, “A new war—of words” (editorial), pg. 4, col. 1:
Another recent sign of escalation of militancy is a T-shirt for women that reads: “Grow Your Own Dope—Plant a Man.”
     
OCLC WorldCat record
Grow your own dope, plant a man : a hilarious romp in the unpredictable, irresistible garden of happily ever after
Author: Loretta Griffin
Publisher: Ambridge, PA : Taproot Press, ©1999.
Edition/Format:   Book : Biography : English
 
Google Books
The Little Book of After Dinner Speeches
By Jamie Stokes
Bath, England: Parragon
2002
Pg. 32:
Grow your own dope — plant a politician.
 
24 October 2004, The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), pg. C-5, col. 1:
Bumper sticker
GROW YOUR OWN DOPE.
PLANT A POLITICIAN.
 
Google Books
The Snark Handbook:
Politics and Government Edition:
Gridlock, Red Tape, and Other Insults to We the People
By Lawrence Dorfman
New York, NY: Skyhorse Pub.
2012
Pg. ?:
Grow your own dope! Plant a politician!
 
Twitter
Daniel Zimmerman
‏@Dansuccesscoach
Grow your own dope! Plant a politician!
7:52 AM - 16 Jul 2014