Relationship between Jack Herer and cannabis legalization.
He was a pioneering activist in the long process to decriminalize cannabis in the US. He was also named “the emperor of hemp”. Jack Herer believed that hemp could change the world if it was given a chance.
Being born in New York City, he soon identified himself with Republican ideologies. He served in the korean war and after this period he moved to Los Angeles in 1967. This young Herer arrived to California when the cannabis revolution was growing like crazy. He was the 30 years old when he discovered marijuana. From the very beginning he fell in love with the plant and decided to share this love with the world. He got involved with the study of cannabis . In 1973 he participated in the Official Guide for Assessing the Quality of Marijuana on the 1 to 10 scale.
He opened the first hemp store in Venice Beach (California) . A family – owned shop Portland, Oregon , called The Third Eye (the name of a famous book by Lobsang Rampa) and after he created the organization named Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP).
When in 1985 he wrote his book “The emperor wears no clothes” his fame grew like crazy. This book became a reference and it was the result of ten years of investigation on cannabis prohibition and use of the plant.
Jack Herer began to write his most important works in 1983, after refusing the payment of a fine for registering voters in a parking lot. From that moment it began to be recognized as the reference of cannabis legalization movement. Nowadays he continues being the reference for the activists who fight for cannabis legalization all over the world.
During almost 40 years he travelled across the US making a hard campaign to decriminalize hemp and restoring it as the staple of American agriculture. Being a powerful lecturer he argued that cannabis was an important renewable source of energy, food, paper pulp and much more. He openly accused the Government of hiding these benefits.
Jack Herer has a namesake of marijuana and the city of Las Vegas holds every year The Jack Herer Cup. This activist died April 15, 2010 from a heart attack he suffered some years before. The activism lost one of its most important pillars that day.
Rest in peace, dear Jack.
