Jack Herer

Jack Herer
Jack Herer in Washington, DC, 1989
Born	(1939-06-18)June 18, 1939 Buffalo NY, United States
Died	April 15, 2010(2010-04-15) (aged 70) Eugene, Oregon, United States
Other names	"The Hemperor"
Occupation	Global Cannabis Community Founding Father, Front Line Freedom Fighter
Website	www.jackherer.com

Jack Herer (/ˈhɛrər/; June 18, 1939 – April 15, 2010), sometimes called the "Emperor of Hemp", was an American cannabis activist and the author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a book—in 2016 in its twelfth edition after having been continuously in print for 31 years—frequently cited in efforts to decriminalize and legalize cannabis and to expand the use of hemp for industrial use. Herer also founded and served as the director of the organization Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP). The Jack Herer Cup is held in Las Vegas each year to honor Jack Herer.

An early glass pipe entrepreneur, opening his first head shop in 1973, Herer was a pro-cannabis and hemp activist. There was a documentary made about his life called, "Emperor of Hemp," which was aired on PBS stations throughout the U.S. and was translated into French and Spanish.

As an activist he taught that the cannabis plant should be decriminalized 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 as well as economical purposes. He further asserted that the U.S. government has been deliberately hiding the proof of this from their own citizens.

A former Goldwater Republican, Herer ran for United States President twice, in 1988 (1,949 votes) and 1992 (3,875 votes) as the Grassroots Party candidate.

A sativa-dominant sativa/indica hybrid strain of cannabis has been named after Jack Herer in honor of his work. This strain has won several awards, including the 7th High Times Cannabis Cup. Jack Herer was also inducted into the Counterculture Hall of Fame at the 16th Cannabis Cup in recognition of his first book.