Jack Herer (; June 18, 1939 – April 15, 2010), sometimes called the "Emperor of Hemp", was an American
cannabis rights
Cannabis rights or marijuana rights (sometimes more specifically cannabis consumer rights or stoner rights) are individual civil and human rights that vary by jurisdiction. The rights of people who consume cannabis include the right to be free f ...
activist and the author of ''
The Emperor Wears No Clothes
''The Emperor Wears No Clothes'' is a non-fiction book written by Jack Herer. Starting in 1973, the story begins when Herer takes the advice of his friend, "Captain" Ed Adair, and begins compiling tidbits of information about the ''Cannabis'' pl ...
''. Herer founded and served as the director of the organization Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP).
As an activist, he advocated for the decriminalization of the
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
plant and argued that it could be used as a renewable source of fuel, medicine, food, fiber, and paper/pulp and that it can be grown in virtually any part of the world for
medicinal
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
as well as economic purposes. He further asserted that the U.S. government has been deliberately hiding the proof of this from its own citizens.
Biography
An early glass pipe entrepreneur, Herer opened his first
head shop
A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis and tobacco and items related to cannabis culture and related countercultures. They emerged from the hippie counterculture in the late 1960s, and ...
in 1973.
In 1985, Herer self-published ''
The Emperor Wears No Clothes
''The Emperor Wears No Clothes'' is a non-fiction book written by Jack Herer. Starting in 1973, the story begins when Herer takes the advice of his friend, "Captain" Ed Adair, and begins compiling tidbits of information about the ''Cannabis'' pl ...
'', a book — in 2020 in its fourteenth edition after having been continuously in print for 35 years — frequently cited in efforts to
decriminalize and legalize cannabis and to expand the use of
hemp for industrial use.
In 1987, Herer opened the
Third Eye Shoppe head shop in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
. Herer's son Mark Herer took over as the shop's owner in 2001. The Third Eye closed on March 31, 2017.
A former
Goldwater Republican, Herer twice ran for
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
, in
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
(1,949 votes)
and
1992 (3,875 votes),
as the
Grassroots Party
The Grassroots Party was a political third party in the United States established in 1986 to oppose drug prohibition. The party shared many of the progressive values of the Farmer-Labor Party but with an emphasis on cannabis/hemp legalization is ...
candidate.
Health problems and death
In July 2000, Herer suffered a minor
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
and a major
stroke while attending the BioFach trade show, resulting in difficulties speaking and moving the right side of his body. Herer mostly recovered, and claimed in May 2004 that treatment with the ''
Amanita muscaria'', a
psychoactive mushroom, was the "secret".
On September 12, 2009, Herer suffered another heart attack while backstage at the
Hempstalk Festival in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
.
He was discharged to another facility on October 13, 2009. Paul Stanford of The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation said, "He is waking up and gazing appropriately when someone is talking... but he is not really communicating in any way."
On April 15, 2010, Herer died in
Eugene, Oregon, from complications related to the September 2009 heart attack. He was 70 years old at the time of his death. Herer was buried at the
Eden Memorial Park Cemetery
Eden Memorial Park Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located at 11500 Sepulveda Boulevard, Mission Hills, Los Angeles, Mission Hills, California, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Many Jews from the entertainment industry are buried here. It ...
in
Mission Hills, California.
Criticism
European experts on hemp, like Dr. Hayo M.G. van der Werf, author of the doctoral thesis ''Crop physiology of fibre hemp'' (1994), and Dr. Ivan Bocsa criticized Herer for making unrealistic claims regarding the potential of hemp (cf. the work of
Lyster Hoxie Dewey
Lyster Hoxie Dewey (1865–1944) was an American botanist from Michigan.
Lyster Dewey was born in Cambridge, Michigan on March 14, 1865. In 1888, he graduated from Michigan State Agricultural College where, for the next two years, he taught bot ...
).
* Herer claimed that hemp produces higher yields than other crops. Van der Werf argued that is simply wrong. Under most favorable growing conditions, other crops such as maize,
sugar beet, or potato produced similar dry matter yields. Fiber hemp is in no way exceptional in terms of weight yield.
* Herer claimed that
hemp hurds, which make up 60 to 80% of the stem dry weight, contain 77% cellulose. Van der Werf argued that is wrong. Cellulose content of hemp hurds has been found to vary between 32 and 38% (Bedetti and Ciaralli 1976, van der Werf 1994). Possibly, Herer confused the hurds, which form the woody core of the hemp stem, with the bark, which forms the outer layer of the hemp stem. The bark contains the long bast fibers which are used in textile manufacturing.
Legacy
A
sativa
Sativa, sativus, and sativum are Latin botanical adjectives meaning '' cultivated''. It is often associated botanically with plants that promote good health and used to designate certain seed-grown domestic crops.
Usage
''Sativa'' (ending in -a) ...
-dominant hybrid
strain of cannabis was named after Herer in honor of his work. The Jack Herer strain was originally created by
Sensi Seeds
Sensi Seeds or Sensi Seed Bank is a Dutch company based in Amsterdam which markets cannabis seeds.
History
The company was founded in 1985. . Today almost all seed banks carry their own take on this famous cannabis favorite. This strain has won several awards, including the 7th ''
High Times
''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny"Norml Founder Retires – Exha ...
''
Cannabis Cup
The ''High Times'' Cannabis Cup is a cannabis festival sponsored by ''High Times'' magazine. The event features judges from around the world who sample and vote for their favorite marijuana varieties, with cups (trophies) being awarded to the ove ...
. Jack Herer was also inducted into the
Counterculture Hall of Fame
The Counterculture Hall of Fame, managed by ''High Times'' magazine, is a hall of fame primarily dedicated to celebrating the counterculture and the people who helped shape it. The hall was created in 1997 by ''High Times'' editor Steven Hager. I ...
at the 16th Cannabis Cup in recognition of his first book.
The Jack Herer Cup, created by R. Foreman, is held in Amsterdam, Colombia, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and Thailand each year to honor the Worldwide Cannabis Legalization Movement that Jack Herer helped start.
''Emperor of Hemp'' is a documentary made about Herer's life that aired on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
stations throughout the U.S., and was translated into French and Spanish.
Works
Books
* (with Al Emmanuel) ''G.R.A.S.S.: Great Revolutionary American Standard System: The Official Guide for Assessing the Quality of Marijuana on the 1 to 10 Scale'' (Primo Publications, 1973)
* ''
The Emperor Wears No Clothes
''The Emperor Wears No Clothes'' is a non-fiction book written by Jack Herer. Starting in 1973, the story begins when Herer takes the advice of his friend, "Captain" Ed Adair, and begins compiling tidbits of information about the ''Cannabis'' pl ...
'' (Van Nuys, California: Ah Ha Publishing, 1985, 1990)
Articles
* "Cannabis Medicines Banned," Totse.com
archived at the Wayback Machine— excerpt from ''The Emperor Wears No Clothes''
* "
Hemp for Victory
''Hemp for Victory'' is a black-and-white United States government film made during World War II and released in 1942, explaining the uses of hemp, encouraging farmers to grow as much as possible. During World War II, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1 ...
— Coverup," Totse.com
archived at the Wayback Machine
See also
*
List of civil rights leaders
Civil rights leaders are influential figures in the promotion and implementation of political freedom and the expansion of personal civil liberties and rights. They work to protect individuals and groups from political repressio ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Erowid Jack Herer VaultJack Herer, Emperor of Hemp, Passes AwayThe 420 Times
jackherercup.com*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herer, Jack
1939 births
2010 deaths
20th-century American politicians
American non-fiction writers
American cannabis activists
20th-century American Jews
Cannabis political party politicians
Grassroots Party politicians
Politicians from Buffalo, New York
Candidates in the 1988 United States presidential election
Candidates in the 1992 United States presidential election
Activists from Buffalo, New York
21st-century American Jews
Cannabis writers