If you smoke legal cannabis on Father’s Day, you owe this activist an honorary award.
Before you light up your Father’s Day bunker, remember to whip up one for Jack Herer, aka the godfather of modern cannabis.
A good godfather is not always there. But it’s just in time when you need it. And throughout Prohibition, Jack Herer has led the cannabis community forward with passion and brilliance.
At a time when cannabis has been largely consumed in the treasury, Herer’s example has become a guiding light for the cannabis community. Even for those who did not agree with his flowery atmosphere.
“You have to lose your mind to not smoke steroids!” Herer told a crowd in 2009 at one of his last public appearances.
Although he passed away in April 2010 at the age of 70, Herer’s legacy lives on through recorded writings. wordsThe world-famous Jack Hererer dynasty. Raised for patients in Dutch drugstores since the 1990s, Jack’s proud bloodline still lives up to his reputation for pioneering ideas and inspiring energy.
To honor Jack’s legacy this Father’s Day Weekend, here are Leafly’s top five reasons why Mr. Herer is the godfather of modern cannabis culture.
1. Paying his dues to the wet
Jack Herer’s career in the cannabis industry dates back to his days as a pioneer in the glass tube industry. He opened his first flagship store in 1973 at the age of 34 and began documenting everything he could about the cannabis plant. His notes would later blossom into a world-famous book, The emperor does not wear clothes. Jack started writing the emperor While he was in prison for protesting against the administration of Ronald Reagan.
The non-fiction book was a counterculture manifesto that raised questions about the validity of American propaganda, especially the War on Drugs.
The script offered $100,000 to anyone who could refute his claims about cannabis. The claims included: Hemp plants are the world’s most efficient source of solar energy, and hemp is a sustainable solution to world hunger.
The book was published 12 times over the next 25 years, with the last edition hitting the press in 2010, the same year that Jack passed in 70 Complications after a heart attack.
2. Keep the family tight
Keeping the cannabis community united is not an easy task. You have growers, sellers, smokers, tapers and chewers who all feel unique ownership of the plant. But Herer’s job as director of Helping End End Marijuana Prolusion (HEMP) has made unity a priority.
With the legalization of capital flows and competition into the legal weed market, all participants must reconsider the principles that Jack preached on the path to legalization. Even with some of his vociferous criticism coming from activists in the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), Jack has reserved his smoke for those who support prohibition.
Some contemporaries wanted Jack to be more mature and general. They even defied his sweeping statements that cannabis could save the world. However, in 2002, NORML reversed its longstanding skepticism by honoring Herer with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
3. Stay near the factory
In his life, Herer put his hands in every category of cannabis business. The experience he gained selling pipes in the ’70s, writing books in the ’80s and pushing hard for legalization in the ’90s gave him a foundation of substance and complemented his natural leadership skills. Jack’s charming presence and clear voice helped him reach people easily. But he did not put himself in front of the factory. In fact, he rarely had time to indulge his ego because he was too busy baking.
Jack often joked, “No one’s ever died from marijuana that a cop didn’t shoot.” He used this line to intimidate his fourth wife, Jenny, who tracked down Jack in the late 1990s after reading his famous book and getting a revelation. She found him stoned, lying under the table of the famous sellers on the shore of Venice, and could not believe that this was the author of the book that changed her life.
4. He helped pave the legal path
In 1972, Herer joined the California attorney Leo Pauli To put Proposition 19 on the California ballot. It failed to pass with 33% approval, but votes showed Jack and others that Americans were beginning to see through drug war propaganda.
Herer also created a file The Great American Standard System (GRASS) To educate adults about cannabis with witty animation and copywriting. And together with his friend, Captain Ed AdairJack vows never to rest until the factory is legal.
Jack was perfectly good at playing the long game. He pushed through failed ballot measures year after year with a smile, because he loved the democratic process and enjoyed the incremental progress his work had pushed forward.
Everyone who enjoys non-criminal or licensed cannabis today owes an honorary reward to Jack for his political insight and patience.
5. Planting strong roots
The Godfather’s name and influence will last for generations thanks to the Jack Herer Cup competition, which takes place in Amsterdam, Colombia, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Thailand every year.
But why do distinct Jack Herer cultivars remain among the most popular sativa-dominated strains on the planet? Well, just a few beads of the namesake jack flower will flood your mind with new ideas and the rush of energy you need to implement them. So this Father’s Day, light up some JH and celebrate the legendary influence of the godfather on the modern cannabis world.
For more on Jack, check out the original Tom Zoellner copy About Herer . Feature From 2017, listen to Leafly’s roll up A podcast episode dedicated to Godfather Bot.
Also, the updated 2020 Kindle version of The emperor wears no clothes, Edited and Commented by Dan Herer, Available over here.
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